And You Don't Seem to Understand
by Gackt Camui
Summary: After a completed mission, Hiiro finds a girl who looks to be one step away from killing herself. But looks can be deceiving. . .
1. A shame you seemed an honest man

_Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon._

**And You Don't Seem to Understand**

Prologue

Scenery whipped blindly past as Hiiro eased his foot into the gas pedal. The mission had gone off without a hitch, but its simplicity had left him feeling unsettled. Lady Une had requested he take a sealed message to a plain, nondescript man. Very few words had been exchanged when the receiver and he had met, which was the way he preferred his affairs, but the entire situation had been too straightforward. 

Hiiro smirked at the irony of his thoughts. He yearned for the simple life, but uncomplicated events were inclined to leave him uneasy. Yet, life as a Preventer was taking a less cumbersome course. Missions were few and far in between as Earth began to settle down and promising politicians began to take their respective roles. 

The empty bridge road was slick from morning showers and the charcoal sky promised more rain to come after true dark. With a half-hearted glance out the side window, he caught sight of a shock of yellow against bleak grey. A woman with her back towards him stood up high on a wet metal beam, one arm clutched tightly around a supporting pole. Her dark blonde hair was arranged in a peculiar style and the two pigtails that cascaded down her back snapped in the fierce wind. 

All rational thoughts told him to keep driving and pretend he hadn't seen her and that she wasn't contemplating suicide. And if she was, it was none of his business. Her life was her own to do with as she pleased and a stranger like himself would be powerless to stop her. 

Hiiro forced his eyes forward, but he couldn't stop thinking and thinking and thinking. He gritted his teeth, reaching for that internal switch to shut off his brain, but found it faulty. 

The woman looked normal; did she have a normal family as well? Did she have normal friends who would mourn her if she died? 

The idea that she might have a loving family and devoted friends while she sought death provoked him. Almost on its own accord, the hand that gripped the steering wheel arced swiftly to the side. The vehicle swerved on the slate road and screeched to a halt in the opposite lane. The road was clear and empty on both sides, stretching on and on. The engine hummed softly and he, brooding, sat as he watched her. 

The woman—girl—hadn't turned around. She wore a Japanese sailor-style school uniform and looked smaller and more frail up close. Her clothing molded to her body with every violent gust of wind and he saw just how delicately framed she was. The only thing that anchored her to life was the thin arm that hugged the pole. 

He reached for the door and stepped out of the car.

_AN, very randomly: *frowns a little* I don't know. I really don't know. *sighs* Just an idea. . .and a poorly thought-out one at that. OOCness on Hiiro's part, even though I tried to make him IC. Rain, rain, rain, I have such affinity with rain; I keep writing fics about it. =.=;; I have a feeling I'm going to be breaking a rule I keep with myself: to only post up fics that I plan on finishing. =| Questions, comments, and flames are all welcome in my review box. Of course, I prefer praise and constructive criticism to a platter of flambe. . .unless it's banana. ^^()_


	2. I am falling, I am flailing

_Random AN: If anyone has noticed, the title is a line from Boa's Duvet, the opening theme for Serial Experiments Lain. That was one off the wall anime. O.o I watched it a few years ago and it still boggles my mind._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon._

**And You Don't Seem to Understand**

Chapter 1 

Mid-March. Second anniversary of Chiba Mamoru's death. 

Minako hunched over her drink, looking away from the expanse of grey that lingered outside the window and back to her companions. "I feel. . .guilty. . .that we're here like this today. We should be with Usagi-chan," she murmured. It was taboo to speak of 'that,' especially in front of Usagi, but euphemisms were always more acceptable. She twirled the straw listlessly between her fingers. 

Makoto nodded in agreement, but fidgeted uneasily. The overcast weather was making her anxious. "I know, but today is the best day to leave her alone. Ami-chan also said she had something she wanted to tell us about. . .today." 

"Speaking of Ami-chan, where is she? She's never late." Rei lifted her head and searched over the light crowd of the café for any signs of their friend. The door jingled and her violet eyes went to the entrance to spot the blue-black bob of her petite comrade. 

Breathlessly, Ami approached their booth and gasped out an apology before sinking into the seat next to Minako. "I got caught up in a new line to my theory and lost track of time." 

"Lost track of time?" Rei echoed thoughtfully, letting her eyes linger grimly on Ami's heavy under eye bags. "Have you felt it, too? The strange ebb and flow of time today?" At their solemn nods, she closed her eyes and leaned back. "It feels surreal." 

Ami nodded quickly and leaned forward, voice down to a whisper. "I've been working on my theory since. . .the tragedy. This is what I've come up with: Mamoru-san has been wiped out of existence. He no longer exists—never existed—in any timeframe or timeline now that he's. . .passed." 

"Wait a minute," Makoto shook her head in disbelief, "what do you mean 'he no longer exists'?" 

"I mean, all the Mamoru-san's that have ever existed in this world are gone. His death in this current time went back and wiped out his previous and future existences. Since his death, there was never a Chiba Mamoru." 

Fiercely, Rei clutched the edge of the table until her knuckles bled to white and had to remind herself that this was only a theory. "You're saying that the future affects the past, Ami-chan. How is that possible?" 

"Time flows in a circle." 

Three shocked faces gaped at Minako. She looked cluelessly back at them. 

"Did Minako just sort of make sense?" Rei asked, her death grip easing on the table. She was beginning to feel a little lightheaded. 

"Hey, I resent that!" she cried, indignantly crossing her arms over her chest. People stared. Rei snorted. Ami pretended to ignore them.

"Yes, Minako-chan is right in a way. Time flows in a circle. And since Mamoru was Endymion in a past life, Endymion no longer exists as well. Now, if you think about it, Endymion could be deemed at fault for the fall of the Silver Millennium. Beryl gathered her forces because of Endymion—she had fallen in love with him and in a blind act of jealousy, she joined with Metallia. Earth fell to the Dark Kingdom and that brought Endymion to seek refuge on the moon, which was where it all ended." Ami sighed. Her theory had started out as an idea a month ago and had quickly developed into a full-blown obsession. It had overtaken her studies and free time to the point where she couldn't fall asleep until she had explored it from a different angle. 

"But couldn't the blame be easily laid on Serenity? It was she who sought out Endymion in the first place." 

She nodded at Makoto's reasoning. "Suppose they had never met. Endymion still would not have fallen in love with Lady Beryl. They were close, but their relationship was one-sided—Endymion would barely give her the time of day. Envy knows no boundaries. It wasn't because Serenity was the princess of the moon, but because Endymion would eventually love someone else. Metallia would have easily infected Beryl in her vulnerable state. We would have never met his generals, but Beryl would have gotten to them first because they were closest to Endymion. 

"By that time, the outer planets were barely standing, but still standing. Even if Endymion did not know the existence of civilization on the other planets, he would have found out through Metallia. Her ultimate goal was the defeat of the Silver Millennium. Even with the moon's advanced technology, the Earth outnumbered the moon. The Silver Millennium was doomed either way." 

It almost made sense to Minako as she mulled over the speculation—except for one part. "You're saying that it was all Endymion's fault he was so gorgeous that ten billion women had to fall in love with him. Then wouldn't it be his parents fault for having sex and making him?" 

Ami's mouth opened, closed, then opened again. "I. . .I didn't think about that," she admitted. Her already pale face drained of whatever color that was left. 

"Ami-chan, it's okay," Makoto interjected quickly, eager to ease her frazzled friend. "It's today. . .it's weird," she supplied with a shrug and suppressed a smile as she glanced at Minako. "It's making the most incoherent of people coherent." 

"I resent that, too!" 

She smiled weakly in response at the pair. "But I'm not blaming him per se, just the fact that his soul took that moment of conception to be made into flesh. And it wasn't based on looks alone that caused his popularity. He was a respectable prince." 

"So you're saying if the King and Queen had conceived another son, it wouldn't have had the same effect?" 

The exhausted girl took a moment to gather her wits and shake her head no. "That's debatable. If another son had been born in Endymion's place, he may or may not have taken the same role. There are too many alternate realities to say for sure. 

"However, now that Endymion never existed, there never did lead to chain of events where the Sailor Senshi would be needed in this time. The Silver Millennium never fell. The Sailor Senshi of that time were never reborn because they had never died. That is why we can't call on our powers anymore. We are no longer the Sailor Senshi." 

Rei uncharacteristically grabbed her head and moaned, "You're saying the Silver Millennium still exists and that there is extraterrestrial life. You do realize, Ami-chan, that your theory is full of holes?" 

Ami had the grace to blush. "Well, of course, but this is just a theory; maybe a hypothesis is more like it. It does make a little sense, doesn't it?" she asked meekly. 

Suddenly, Minako sniffed and turned big teary eyes to her friends. "So this was like just one big dream? We were never the Sailor Senshi? I was never Sailor V?" 

Rei shrugged and let her eyes slide close. "Like I said: surreal." 

- - - - - - - - - 

"Hey," he uttered in a low voice, scowling when she didn't turn around. His eyes skimmed over her figure—he could attempt to grab her from behind and haul her down. It wouldn't take much strength to overpower her. 

Hiiro closed the gap between them and reached for her waist. She chose that exact moment to turn around and notice him. 

- - - - - - - - - 

The black water rolled like long pitch tongues. They slapped against the metal columns and burst into wet white fireworks. It was one hundred and sixty feet from where she stood to the water. A human body could plummet off the bridge and die instantly. Bones would shatter like glass and the remains would be crushed under each torrential wave. A person could be hammered continuously against the supporting columns before finally drifting to shore. Usagi knew because she couldn't forget. 

She didn't know what time it was or how long she had been standing there. Today, time always slowed down and stretched on infinitely until it felt like she had just got there. She didn't understand it and tried not to. 

Like a Moebius strip. She didn't even know what a Moebius strip was—which made more and less sense to her than before. 

It was late, probably. Her parents would be worried. Usagi eased open her grip on the pole, gave the threatening waves one last glance, and turned on her heel. Something moved towards her on the side—electric blue eyes flashed from a sharply angled face. Surprised, she stepped backwards. 

. . .Into air. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Vertigo engrossed the girl and she toppled backwards with a piercing scream. Hiiro automatically lunged for her flailing arms. Her clammy hands were shockingly cold in his. He felt her body jolt from her sudden displacement in mid-air. "Hold on," he grunted as he braced himself. 

Usagi pulled her eyes from the way her legs dangled helplessly over the wicked ebony water and stared open-mouthed at the boy who had nearly sent her to her death. Wind whistled through her body and her hair. The roar of blood in her ears drowned out the crashing tide below. With a shuddering breath, she gripped his hands more tightly. At least they were warm, but she wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. Her fingers were getting sweaty. 

Sweaty like his pale face as he drifted further and further away from her through the weeks. 

Bitterly, she squeezed her eyes shut as self-loathing consumed her. It had been her fault, despite what anyone else said, because she had been the one closest to him. She should have known and should have done something to ease him when he had needed her the most. She blamed herself because blaming herself was easiest solution and Usagi could not bring herself to defile his ideal image. 

But death did not appeal to her the way it had to him. Life was what she—they—had fought for. To this day, she still could not comprehend what made him choose death. 

Hiiro tugged her up over the rail with the greatest of ease. She barely weighed a thing. Setting her on the ground, he lowered himself to her level to check for signs of shock. 

"You almost killed me!" the waif of a girl accused, blue eyes huge and glittering in her pallid face. She pressed her palms into the flat concrete and leaned over her arms, catching her breath. 

He narrowed his eyes in his own version of a gawk. "You weren't trying to kill yourself." 

Shocked, her head jerked up and she glared at him. "Of course not!" she snapped, but quickly lost the biting look, leaving her face open and sullen. "I wouldn't do something like that, no matter how bad life got," she finished softly. 

"Life is something that is cheap,"* he stated in a low voice and almost regretted it. It had come out harsher than intended. 

Faintly, Usagi frowned, thin golden eyebrows knitted together. The boy who was not quite a man but also not quite a boy stared at her, face impassive and eyes like intense blue fire-light. She shivered; she felt exposed. "Life is the greatest gift. It should be treasured. It takes nine months to give life, but only one second to take it. And if what you said was true, why did you save me?" 

Sincere words, Hiiro mused dully to himself, but also words of a person who had never experienced a life worth dying for. And why had he saved her? The costs were already outweighing the benefits. He was losing time with idle chitchat. She sighed suddenly. 

"Sorry." 

He looked at her sharply. She was apologizing to him? 

Usagi studied him with interest. He didn't look much older than her, but one look at his clothes told her he was out of school. A forest green shirt peeked out from the confines of a black bomber jacket. He was attractive in a dangerous sort of way, and as soon as she realized her thoughts, she flushed and looked down. "I guess anybody would have thought I was going to. . ." she trailed off and shook her head, "but you see, not many people use this bridge anymore, so I thought it was okay." 

"You've done this more than once," he acknowledged. 

She shrugged and lowered her eyes to her hands. "Just one other time. Thank you for saving me." 

Her vague answers and topic-switching tactics were obvious and easy to pick up. She was edged with mystery, but everyone was entitled to a few secrets. "It's dangerous," he said at length. 

"I know. This is all pretty silly now, don't you think?" she giggled awkwardly, miserable thoughts momentarily dispersing. Someone had nearly killed her by trying to save her. It was so nerve-racking it was hilarious. Her lips twitched into a smile, but at his blank expression, she winced. He obviously didn't share her humor. "My name is Tsukino Usagi. What's yours?" she inquired as she picked herself off the concrete. 

He pulled himself back into a standing position and smirked. Her name matched her hair. "Yui Hiiro." 

"Yui Hiiro-san," she murmured to herself as she nodded. "I won't forget you." 

Her odd remarks and extreme blue eyes were beginning to unnerve him. He fell back on his most dependable response. "Hn." 

Usagi broke into a smile. "'Hn,'" she mimicked with an amused tilt of her head. "I like that!" Flashing him another toothy grin, she took his hand and enthusiastically shook it much to his concealed confusion. "I have to go home, but it was nice meeting you, Hiiro-san. Maybe we'll see each other again!" She waved as she turned, nearly tripped, and ran down the road. 

Hiiro, nonplussed, stared after her as she vanished down the path. The engine of his car purred in stillness of twilight. A chill of water peppered the ground in front of him before speckling his hair and face. The light rain was freezing, but welcoming. 

Languidly, he climbed back into the car and sat and reflected. He was used to idiosyncratic individuals in his line of work, but they only held his interest long enough for him to put them out of his own misery. Much to his personal indifference, he was often called one. But Tsukino Usagi with her peculiar ideals, rapid shifts of mood, and eccentric mannerisms secured a notable and vaguely familiar image. 

_"__I won't forget you." _

He smirked and put his vehicle into motion. Whatever that meant. 

_The end. Haha, just kidding. I'd love to end it there and never ever think about this ever again, but. . .somehow. . .I'll finish it. *makes a determined face and only manages to look constipated*_

_For the reviewers: Wow, you guys are so awesome! I never expected the number of reviews! I was thinking maybe two tops, but the response was pretty overwhelming! ^_^ Now to see if I can get the same number or more! xD Heheh, just kidding ^^ . . . though it would be nice :D --shameless smile_

**Patricia16**: Thanks ^^;; I'll finish it!

**Chibi Koneko**: ;D Thanks! XD I've got so many weird ideas I wanna explore. :x

**Amanda**: You're too nice, lol. ^^;; I hope the rest of the chapters meet your approval, too!

**hino rei**: Wahh, me have talent?! :D! Thanks!

**Heero's Bunny**: Lol, Heero—sweet XD!! I actually wasn't going for that, but okay! Rofl, I guess Hiiro fanfic OOCness is true, hmm? He doesn't really have –social– interactions with people, so it's hard to distinguish sometimes. ^^

**Shadow Wolf2**: *erks at hoard of fans carrying torches and rocket launchers* @.@ I don't know whether to be flattered or frightened! Maybe I'll be both. ^^() I love rain, too xD It's just that. . .I have such an unhealthy obsession with it. o.o

**Dragon7**: Any means necessary? *light bulb goes on over her head* Well, maybe if he becomes my personal love slave. . . ;D Wait, I don't want Relena!! ;-;

**Arella Halo**: Hiiro's going to die. o.o Just kidding! ^^;; He won't die. . .or will he? *walks away whistling innocently* ^~

**crystalgem2003**: Thanks, hehe! I make sense? Wow, that's the first time someone's said that to me. You should see/hear the conversations I have with my friends. XD You'll have no idea what I'm talking about 99.9% of the time.

**Sunshine Fia**: Lol, you almost got it right. x3 Poor Usagi-chan. . .almost died thanks to Hiiro. U.u! Bad Hiiro, bad! I'm sure he'll make it up to her later. . .somehow. . . :D

**themoonmaiden**: tmm-chan ;-;!! It's okay, don't worry about it! But I'm so glad you're back!! *huggles* Lol, that's very true about Hiiro. . . It also sort of gives me an idea. *snickers to herself and glances around* The pole _ Haha, I didn't even realize I used that phrase, but it brings back dirty thoughts. :D *scratches her chin* I'm not sure if their first meeting would be considered turbulent. . .maybe more confusing and not quite romantic. . .yet. . .maybe. . . I'm still wondering if I should make it a romance. ^^

**Damia – Queen of the Gypsi's**: Thanks! Explanations will be introduced with time. ^_~ I have this thing about hinting at stuff and then drawing it out very slowly. I know I'm cruel. :D

**kimeno-pebols**: *bows* ^^! I actually might not make it H/U, just to warn you. ^^;; Romance is still kind of undecided. x_x

**~Pyro Kitty Cat~**: Thanks and I'll try! ^_^

**Ame**: Yay! So that means you'll still read even if I don't put them together? :D I hope so! 

_Questions and answers that come to mind: What is wrong with this fic?! Pwahahaha, everything! :D I was lying in bed and then the inner's conversation just popped into my head. It made, and still makes no sense to me whatsoever, so if anybody actually DOES understand it, feel free to explain it to me! xD Keep in mind that it is just Ami's theory. Also, the information on the Silver Millennium is a mix of anime and manga. _

_Yeah, Mamo-chan is dead, no, I don't hate him, and yes, I used to have the fattest 2-D crush on him. . But for the sake of this story, he is dead. -.- His tragedy was for the greater good, I tell you. What did he die of, you ask? You'll just have to wait to find out. You're always free to guess, though. ^^ _

_Timeline. . .? .() Okay, let's see! For GW, way after (around 4 years) Endless Waltz. For SM, I guess two years after Stars, but I might have to alter the ages. _

_A Moebius strip, by the way, is a loop of paper with a half-twist in it, and as a result, only has one side and one edge. *scratches her head* I learned it from a manga called Psychometrer Eiji. That's the best explanation I can give, but you can look it up on the web. ^^; _

_*Taken from Digi-Esca Girl's bio. O_o I was just going through my favorites' favorites' favorites' lists and I stumbled on that quote. I wrote it into my story because. . .it totally fits with what I had Usagi say. Wow. :D (I love the quotes she's got! Especially her Tasuki ones because Tasuki is my man. m(o.o)m) _

_It is Usagi-centered for the most part, but the Senshi do play a role. _

_Thanks for reading =D Don't be afraid to review and ask what the hell I was smoking when I wrote this._


	3. And all the fears you hold so dear

_Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon._

**And You Don't Seem to Understand**

Chapter 2

Haruka drifted her tapered fingers over the polished keys of the grand piano, but music wouldn't soothe her now. "He had the future and he had Koneko-chan. He had it all." She looked up find her lover placidly leaning over the piano, elbows up and chin resting in her folded hands. Michiru was humming. Her fluid voice filled the spacious room. "Now, no one has anything." 

Out of all of them, Haruka had taken it the hardest. She hated Fate and Her sick sense of humor; she had never wanted anything to do with the end of the world, and now, it was all she desired. Becoming a soldier and saving a place where she had never really fit in had been a ridiculous notion three years ago. Racing had been her one passion, because that was as close to the wind as she could get, and everything else was passing entertainment for her endless boredom. Michiru had been the only one who understood her in that muddled time, the mainstay and the one who had tried to protect her from the ultimate responsibility. But by becoming Sailor Uranus, the wind became her. 

After Mamoru had destroyed himself, something inside all of the Senshi had shattered. It wasn't his death, but the gentle and dormant power that had laid inside each of them. For Haruka, the spirit of the wind had flown from her heart and soul and she had been devastated from the loss. 

Nothing had consoled her for weeks until she had gone on a late night drive to work off her anguish, and in the process, nearly run over the broken shell of Usagi. 

The girl had looked lost, eyes hollow in her gaunt and sickly face. The boundless misery that had budded within Haruka like weeds with thorns withered when she realized just how selfish she had been. A person had died, not just a human being, but one who had loved and been loved by others. And Usagi, the manifestation of compassionate love and hope, had dwindled into a wretched mess. 

Haruka hadn't even been able to understand the basest of the blonde's insecurities. In her efforts to comfort Usagi, she had only caught one intelligible word: different. 

Different from what? she had wondered to herself. She didn't know in this sudden state of chaos. 

And Setsuna had seemingly vanished off the face of the Earth. There had been no trace of her since the day before Mamoru's unexpected departure and none in the years that followed afterwards. 

Seeking something to blame, she laid her troubles on Mamoru—a weak man, a man who couldn't handle his responsibilities, and a man who had abandoned them by taking the coward's way out. 

Michiru stopped humming and closed her aquamarine eyes. "Ruka. . .this song has been on my mind lately. It starts like a nursery rhyme—very childish—then the melody progresses into charisma, fades into turmoil, and renews into victory." 

"But?" 

She smiled, though it was more of tightening of her facial muscles than a gentle reassurance. "But one note shatters the middle of the victory strain and it repeats continuously." 

"What note?" Haruka asked although dread filled her upon collection of her answer. 

"Low A." 

Low A—the deepest note and the paramount beat of a drum that reverberated from the lowest point in Hell. 

It was the beginning. 

The music room suddenly thundered with a cacophony of broken notes as Haruka slammed her palms over the keys with a snarl. "We have nothing! What can we use to fight? Nothing!" she growled, standing to her feet. The glossy legs of the piano bench screeched back against the polished marble floor. 

Michiru shook her wavy water-blue hair and gently took a hold of her lover's arm. The note continued to explode in her head, louder and louder with each tremendous beat. "The song is not our song," she whispered as she pressed herself along the line of the taller woman's body. The deafening noise in her sensitive ear slowed and faded in the music of Haruka's steady and all-eclipsing heart. Arms came around her. "Are you worried?" 

"No. Yes." 

"Have faith, Ruka." 

"She's strong, but can she do it by herself?" 

"She won't be alone." 

"Don't ever leave me, Michiru." 

"Never. I'd follow you into death." 

- - - - - - - - - - -

Death. 

The word crowed in delight while the couple embraced, clinging to their hair and skin and the very air they breathed. It beat its leathery black wings and pervaded each tiny corner of their atmosphere. 

On the table, the white lilies in the elegant vase howled silently as they withered into ashes. 

- - - - - - - - - - - 

They had been in downtown Juuban for about fifteen minutes when a few neighboring schools let out. Walking past the gated community of one high school, Duo checked the name of the institution and concluded that the T.A. girl's uniform skirts were the shortest. 

He grinned cheekily at the clusters of girls who had stopped to stare at the foreigner in awe. "Hey, Hii-man, do all Japanese schoolgirls wear their skirts that short?" he asked, eyes still glued to his rapidly increasing fanclub. He flashed another charming smile. The female populace swooned. 

"Hn." 

Duo rolled his eyes and folded his arms behind his head as he caught up to his partner. "I don't get this—we're the Preventers, not the Ghostbusters. Why does Une want us to do a check on this again?" 

"Magnetic field readings," he answered without further explanation; it wasn't his job to enlighten Duo of the directions he should have read. Although, even Hiiro wasn't completely sure why they were employed to check the Tokyo area. He had scarcely returned to L1 when the transmission for a new assignment had come through, requesting his departure back to Tokyo within one week. Parameters included the investigation of several sites and questionable personnel, and any information about the Sailor Senshi, an enigmatic group of supernatural vigilantes, was absolutely critical. 

The appearance of some heroic girls in short skirts was a hoax—that was his first and irreversible impression. Magic did not exist, yet even with immaculate research through all forms of media from videos to news to tabloids, everything that involved the Sailor Senshi was unexplainable by scientific terms. The group had not formed over night; members had been discovered at different times. One member, Sailor Venus, had appeared in England for several years—fighting crime—before joining the growing group in Tokyo. 

The Sailor Senshi had been engrossed in their own wars during the Gundam pilots debut with OZ. Accounts of their battles were always vague, but each and every person who had ever been interviewed would retell the same version of the otherworldly heroines who had saved them. It had been the same everywhere. Japan had suffered through the some of the most destructive and unearthly battles against foes no one had ever seen save the Sailor Senshi. 

One picture had stuck out to him—Sailor Moon in an upgraded form, plummeting from the sky like a descending angel—if he believed in angels. She had been reaching for a younger Senshi, Sailor Chibi Moon. It had been plastered all over the newspapers at one time. The anonymous photographer was now a filthy rich anonymous photographer. 

The details of that picture were one of the most absurd he had ever heard of. A floating circus had suddenly appeared in the sky and fell, crushing any and all buildings within a ten block radius. Then one ruined piece had begun to rise back into the sky and Sailor Moon had been seen clinging to the edge of it. 

According to the press, the world had been saved again after that miraculous display, although there had been no traces of the circus that had supposedly fell with the exception of its catastrophic repercussions. 

However, now under the Preventers, he and those who had joined were privy to other useful information. OZ had recognized the existence of the Sailor Senshi and had been adamant in using them as part of their plan, though they were never able to retrieve any identities before OZ's dispersion. However, they had found a pattern in distinct magnetic field readings in geologic instruments and the emergence of new, uncanny threats to peace. 

They were presently making their way to the Galaxy Television Station for some questioning concerning the very last Sailor Senshi event that had taken place roughly two years ago. But, Lady Une had paired him up with his old war comrade who was somewhat infuriatingly frivolous. 

Hiiro halted and with a glower, turned around. Duo was a few buildings back, studying a menu in the window of a cafe. "Duo," he growled quietly. 

His unconcerned partner grinned. "Hey, I'm starved. Let's get something to eat before we get there." The doors slid open and he vanished into the shop. 

Not very pleased with the unexpected change of plans, Hiiro stalked in after him only to collide with a slender blonde woman.

- - - - - - - - - - -

_Omake: Yes, this chapter was really short and had practically no Usagi in it, which is why, *drum roll* I wrote a little omake! At first, this fic was gonna be totally Usagi-centric but now it has blossomed into some crazy fourteen-headed monster. And yes, I think I will put romance in it. *cackles* Anyhoo, on to the omake!_

A frown marred Usagi's delicate forehead as she mulled over the most difficult decision of her life. There were two choices but they were both equally indispensable. She couldn't afford a mistake. She hummed thoughtfully under her breath, "This one? No, no, this one! No, this one!" 

In her sincere deliberation, she hardly noticed her husband coming up behind her with their daughter settled on his shoulders. Unbeknownst to the petite blonde, he had been searching for her for over an hour on the circus grounds. Hiiro looked over his wife's blonde head to discover the source of her dilemma. 

Usagi was trying to decide between a plush hippopotamus and a plush pony. 

He leaned in close to her, trying to understand just what it was she found so fascinating in some stuffed animals. Their bedroom was already swollen with the collection she had accumulated over her childhood. Hiiro shifted the unusually quiet Chibi-Usa and complacently laid his now free hand south of the border on his little wife. Unfortunately for him, Usagi did not acknowledge it in the way he had hoped. She screeched and swiveled around so fast, he thought she would keel over. 

"Don't touch me, you pervert!" she shrieked as she began to blindly beat her assailant with the soft toys. "My husband's big and strong and he's going to beat you up!" 

Since being physically assaulted by his wife who was significantly smaller than he would ruin his hard-won image, Hiiro had to retract his hand to seize her flailing arms. "Usa." 

She opened her eyes, blinked those big blue gems, and squealed loudly with delight, "Hii-chan! You must have scared him off. You won't believe it! Some pervert tried to touch me!" 

He smiled with effort as his daughter began to cheerfully replicate her mother's attack on his head. There was no need to disclose what really happened. "What are you doing?" 

She gave a long-suffering sigh and held up the battered toys. "I can't decide! They're both so cute!" 

Hiiro glanced at them, deciding they were both revolting. But Usagi was staring at him with such an eager face that he just didn't have the heart to let her down. "Chibi-Usa would like the pony," he resolved, recalling how much his daughter had shrilled with glee at the horses. He watched patiently as Usagi looked down indecisively at the dolls and then back up. 

"Who said it was for Chibi-Usa?"   
  
@ @   
/(^.^)\   
/ \

_AN: I was rewatching episode 166 (SM falling to catch SCM) x_x and I was getting all sentimental so I started crying. That scene is really beautiful and suspenseful. *sighs* Usagi is so cool! x3!! Lol, well of course the other Senshi are cool, too, but what can I say? My favorite is Usagi. ^^;; _

_Snatches of scenes/thoughts/feelings were inspired by different episodes of SM. Haruka's desire to become the wind: 17 of S. o_o As you can see, I am much better with the info on SM than GW. . . Which is why I need to know where the Sanq Kingdom is on Earth. o.o;; If anybody knows, please tell me. x_x;; Heheh thanks ^^; _

_Galaxy Television Station (I think) was part of the Stars series and it was the Earth base where Galaxia was watching from. Not really important. ^^ _

_Also, I took Geology freshman year of college and I fell asleep in it everyday (which is probably why I got a C), so I don't know what the crap I'm talking about with the geologic magnetic field stuff. :D I sorta made it up._

_Fanfic idea up for grabs: Fate made a grave mistake and Tsukino Usagi is reborn into Duo Maxwell's body (Usagi and Duo may or may not share the body). Although Usagi/Duo is biologically a male, Usagi is a straight female and ends up falling in love with Hiiro (or any other G-boy. . . and maybe Duo has fallen in love with Usagi who is himself o_O Talk about narcissistic, lol). From there develops a hetero/shounen-ai relationship. [I'd love to see someone take a stab at this. This was totally inspired by all those body-swapping fics. . . 'cept I've got my own little twist. I don't think I've come across this idea before :D]_

_Review Corner: (I love you guys so much! *glomps them all*)_

**¤°°º°º°°¤|çé ß|úé Éyé§¤°°º°º°°¤**: What an amazing name!! xD Lol, I had to copy and paste it to keep it intact :D That conversation confused me, too. #.#;; I don't think I understand Ami's theory anymore. @_@ There will be more weirdness! I promise, MWAHAHA!! And. . .it was crack. I made it myself. . Lol, well I hope you enjoyed the omake. ;D Much H/U-ness there. ^^

**Chibi Koneko**: . . Crack. . . Yep, I've decided to finish, although my updates will probably slow down after the next chapter or so. o.o Heheh ^^;; Aww, you're sick?! I hope you feel better!! *gives her Hiiro in a maid costume* Don't worry, Hii-chan will take care of all your needs! ^_~!

**Arella Hallo**: My friend told me the word 'interesting' is just a nice way of saying something sucks. T.T Wasn't that mean of her? xD Lol, of course I'm hoping you mean it in the good way. Thanks for the review and it'll get more interesting. ^^

**Heeros Bunny**: Lol, poor Mamoru! xD Haha, I feel pretty bad for him. I used to looove him, but now I'm pretty indifferent. ^^ Man, it's like only me who didn't know of Moebius strips. x.x;; I mean, I knew what they were, I just didn't know they had a name! Haha, I'm such an idiot. Of course I wasn't REALLY smoking anything. :D I'm a good little girl. *beams* You know, that's an interesting idea you have there. o_o;; Would you mind if I put it to use somewhere? ^_^

**angel313**: Yep! The timeline totally confused me, but then I started writing about Haruka and I got a few ideas. ^^ I hope it's understandable here. . . so basically, they overlap and the Senshi only had very, very minor influence in the GW realm.

**Angelight**: Eep!! *gives Angelight-sama lots and lots of time* Lol, school has started, right? x_x I still have a week or so. +.+ The wonders of the UC system. ". . .as spectacular"?! What are you talking about? O_O This is nothing compared to your stuff! XD Your fics are all so. . .captivating. . .even if I haven't reviewed them all ;; ;; I suddenly feel so. . .inferior xD and unworthy ;-; Your description of the Moebius strip was very detailed. !! I sorta remember playing with them when I was little, but I didn't know they had such a technical name until now, rofl. :D I also suddenly feel very incompetent. XD Oh yeah!! Thanks for the birthday shoutout, lol!! 

**Sunshine Fia**: *thinks* They'll meet. . .somewhere, somehow. xD I think I'll put them together. . . it just seems wrong not to, rofl. :D Does that mean you understand Ami's theory? O.O Feel like explaining to me anytime? ^^() The G-boys will come in slowly. :D See, Duo's already in! Yay for Duo!!

**LiLSeReNiTiE**: =x I know! Poor Usa, almost getting killed by Hiiro. *sighs* Don't worry, he won't try to kill her anymore. At least, not intentionally. ^^;

**kalika55**: No Senshi, but that doesn't necessarily mean there's life in space. ^^ Although, the timeline does include the colonies. o.o Hrmm, I think I better think this through more thoroughly. *embarrassed laugh*

**Sailor-Destin**: Thanks! I'll try to get out a chapter a week. . .until the next chapter at least, lol. After that, I have a feeling I'm going to get blockish. x.x

**;ee**: I e-mailed you, but I got a return that said you don't have an account on Yahoo! *gasps* Maybe you typed your e-mail wrong? x.X I'd still be glad to let you know when I update. ^_^

**Midnight of Shadows**: *whispers* Crack. And you might be able to buy it at Wal-Mart. . . some of those cashiers are pretty cracked out if you ask me. j/k! ^^;; Anyhoo. . . Yay!!! You're back!! :DDD Now you can finally update your stories. XD I've been wondering forever what was gonna happen with Usagi after she. . .cracked. o.o I NEED TO KNOW!! That last chapter sorta freaked me out and *goes back to check it* it still does. I think it was the line, "It really was a beautiful night" that gave me goosebumps. It's very cryptic. *shudders* And where did she get her gun? I want one. O_o 

**Silver-blossom**: Thanks! I'll surely continue until I can't continue anymore! . . .Meaning the only thing that'll prevent me from continuing is death. .;; I hope I don't die soon, though. x_x;; 

_*hypnotizes the readers (with enticing images of Hiiro in a leopard print thong doing the macarena) into clicking the little review button at the bottom of the page to leave an entertaining message* :D_


	4. And you know what they say might hurt yo...

_Warning: Short and very unfulfilling if you ask me. x.X_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon._

**And You Don't Seem to Understand**

Chapter 3

Fifteen minutes ago. 

Minako stepped into the wet sunshine, cravings for a large sundae finally satiated. "_Ne_, Usagi-chan, do you want to go to Rei-chan's now?" she asked, jauntily swinging her bookbag as she headed down the street. 

A loud wail answered her question. 

She turned on her heel to see her counterpart sprawled awkwardly on the ground behind her. Sighing hopelessly, Minako helped the coordination-challenged blonde up. "I wonder when you're going to ever grow out of this stage," she teased with a mock serious face.

Usagi, having found her footing, sniffed haughtily and turned her nose to the sky. "The doctor says I'm still growing so I'm allowed to be clumsy." 

"Usagi-chan, you've been the same height for two years." 

"I grew almost a centimeter since last year!" 

Minako laughed and flipped her sunflower blonde hair over her shoulder. The movement turned heads. The smaller blonde was not lost to them. 

She smiled. "Minako-chan, how are the modeling sessions?" 

"Hectic! My schedule is filled up for the next two weeks," she sighed with weary content, "so don't expect me at the study sessions next week. I've only got my weekends free now." 

But her grades were improving, she thought with a bright smile. The restoration of Chaos to where It truly belonged signified the end of the Sailor Wars. She had been better able to focus on her studies and pursue her lifelong dream—to become a pop icon. 

At Usagi's encouragement, Minako had been scouted by a star-searching company during a shopping trip. They loved her look, her vibrancy, and her raw talent. She was already a popular model for many varieties of teenage magazines aimed at both the male and female populations. She became the essence of beauty, health, and intellect—which was another reason why she needed to pull up her grades. Minako was also a representative for the Juuban school district. It gave her all the more incentive to work harder. 

Usagi raised an unwaverable fist. "Then we better study extra hard for exams! Or else Rei-chan will start blowing steam out of her nostrils. . .and then the steam will come out her ears, too. . .like a tea kettle!" The image of her extremely volatile friend as a red tea kettle was too much for her and she exploded into laughter. 

"What did you say?!" 

The petite blonde jumped and gave a little scream before coming face to face with the tea kettle. She grinned unconvincingly. "Rei-chan! You scared me," she said in all seriousness. "What are you doing here, anyway?" 

"What's that supposed to mean? Am I not allowed to be here?" 

"Not with your face!" Usagi blew a raspberry and crossed her arms snootily over her chest. 

Rei looked down at her with a condescending glare. "You're so childish, Usagi." 

Indignant, the small blonde stomped her foot. "I am not!" 

Minako smiled uncomfortably and slowly inched away. "I don't know them," she whispered to the staring pedestrians. 

"Minako-chan!" gasped a horrified Usagi. Her eyes dramatically filled up with tears. "Are you forsaking us?" 

"Do you even know what 'forsaking' means?" 

"Rei-chan _hidoi_!"* 

They made quite a pair, Minako mused with laughter, and somehow, she doubted this sort of relationship would ever end. It was comforting that their friendship would perpetuate in the ever changing world they existed in. 

She lifted her wrist to check the time only to find that her watch, which she was positive had been there ten minutes ago, was gone. "Ah!" she exclaimed, interrupting the bickering twosome. "I think I dropped my watch back at Crown. I'll meet you guys at the shrine!" She ran off before either could answer. 

Usagi stared after her idol in admiration. Minako's long, pale hair swayed almost like a separate entity from her slender body. Her long, lean legs, toned from years of volleyball flashed down the street, drawing the attentions of many men and women. She sighed with a smear of envy. 

"Well, what are you waiting for, _baka_?"* 

Usagi jumped and scowled at Rei. "Nothing!" 

"Then let's go!" 

"Fine!" 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Twenty-two months prior. 

"Do you remember what you said once, Rei-chan? That your true dream was to marry the man you love one day?" 

Rei started. She remembered—it had been before Mistress 9 when she had her terrifying premonitions of Pharoah 90. The world had ended and Rei, even with all her power, had been all but helpless to watch the precious lives she had vowed to protect crumble into ashes. The darkness had devoured the world and it had been the vision that forced her to re-evaluate her life and her friendships. 

"I remember," she said softly and turned violet eyes to Usagi. She also remembered the comfort she had offered to Usagi's now indefinite future. 

The blonde tucked her chin into her folded arms. "You can live it out now." 

Rei closed her eyes and let an ironic smile twist her lips. Usagi was right and the liberating feeling that accompanied it only served to augment her despair. "Do you remember what I told you afterwards?" she questioned. Even without looking at her, she could see Usagi's puzzled expression. "Don't ever lose your cheerfulness. It's your best quality." 

"It's so hard, Rei-chan, so hard," she whispered. Her voice trembled. 

"Stop blaming yourself. It wasn't your fault." 

"I should have been there for him—" 

Frustration fisted within Rei and she grabbed Usagi by the shoulders, efficiently cutting her off. She gave Usagi a good shake in hopes of replacing some of the sense she had lost when Mamoru had killed himself. "You can't be everywhere at once! He was in America, you were in Japan! How were you supposed to know?" 

"I didn't notice when he came back. I should have felt it, but I didn't. I could have done something!" The dull pain felt good against her numb body, but somehow it wouldn't reach the most agonizing section of her heart. The number of times she couldn't save him seemed infinite now. "I thought we had grown stronger. I thought I. . ." she trailed off as she stared enviously at Rei. They were nothing alike, she realized reproachfully; Rei was strong and beautiful and proud, and she was nothing but a pale comparison. Rei would have known. Rei would have done something. 

She jumped to her feet, feeling absolutely sick with herself. "Chibi-Usa's gone now. She's never coming back!" she screamed as she fiercely shook her head and backed away. She shrugged off the hand that called out to her. 

"Usagi-chan!" 

"I wasn't good enough, Rei-chan." 

"That's not true!" 

"I tried, I really did. I wanted to be better for him. . ." 

"Usagi—" 

"I'm nothing." 

That thin thread of hope Rei had been clinging to snapped. What did this mean? What did all of this mean? Nothing had prepared her for this, no premonition, no feeling, nothing. His death was the most unbearable to Usagi and there was absolutely nothing she could do to protect her. And if even Usagi could not break out of her grief, then where did this put Rei? Where did this put the future? 

A child squealing in the playground drew her attention. A little girl in a maroon jumper grinned and waved a toy doll at her. 

She had a doll once, Rei remembered, a pretty china doll her politician father had bought for her birthday before her mother had died. It had long raven hair like her own, and the deepest blue eyes surrounded by a flawless white expanse of porcelain skin. 

It wasn't to be played with, her father had said, because it was meant for looking. He had put the doll in a glass case on a high shelf. She stared at it everyday, thinking how lucky she was to receive such a beautiful gift. 

A year later, her mother died. Her father sent her to live with her grandfather. He left the doll with her grandfather and had put it on another high shelf in an empty room. And day after day of yearning from the dismal ground, she grew tired of merely admiring it. She wanted to hold her present because it was hers, so she climbed that forbidden bookcase, tiny hands outstretched for the pretty marionette. 

Halfway up, the bookcase tipped. 

They fell, she and the doll. Rei landed first, and thinking she could save her doll, she reached for it, fingers squeaking victoriously over the glass covering. She had twisted her ankle in the process, and the pain was nothing more than a lurking shadow compared to her relief.

As she tried to stand, holding tightly to her precious possession, the bookcase that had landed on her shifted. The mahogany ate into her wounded foot and she dropped it. The glass dome shattered around the figure. Her doll broke. 

She had cried and cried and cried afterwards, so sorry that she had broken her perfect doll. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't put her doll back together. Her grandfather found her later on the floor, fingers cut and bleeding as she tried to piece tiny blood-smeared shards of porcelain over the cracked face. He had said he would buy Rei another one if she promised to stop crying. 

But Rei didn't want another one. This had been the doll her father had given her when he had still remembered her birthday. It had been the doll her father had given her before her mother had died. It had been the doll her father had given her. 

And looking at Usagi right now, she saw her broken china doll again—her lifeless porcelain doll staring at nothing with her blue glass eyes. 

Rei smiled grimly with one hand clenched. With the other, she slapped Usagi across the face. 

"Listen to yourself. If you think keep thinking you're nothing, then you really are nothing! The Usagi I know wouldn't let herself fall to pieces like. . .like this. She would stand right back up and tell us how important it was to look towards the future. If you're going to act like this, then I will no longer acknowledge you as my friend." 

Usagi cupped her cheek with one hand, eyes wide in her raw face. Her throat choked with a dry sob and she wanted nothing more than to curl into a fetal position on the floor and cry until the world went dark around her. "Why?" 

"All you ever do is cry." 

She felt as if the very breath had been knocked from her lungs. Her hair snapped back as she rounded furiously on her so-called friend who said she understood, but didn't at all. She was alone now and the loneliness seemed to infuse every living cell of her body, choking her until the tears had nowhere else to go except down her hot cheeks.

She had every right to cry, every single right. . . 

But with one candid look at Rei, the unappeasable anger and hurt dissolved from the very depths of her heart and soul. 

Rei, the ever strong one, Rei the ever proud one, was trembling and looking as lost as she was. 

Usagi stretched out her hand hesitantly, smiling tremulously when her best friend met her halfway. The tears crushed between her blinking eyelashes curled down her cheeks. "Please don't stop being my friend, Rei-chan. I don't want to lose you. I don't want to be alone."

Rei could only think the same of Usagi as she held onto her and onto all that was forsaken. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Minako snatched up her watch in victory and dashed out of the arcade with a quick wave to Motoki. She ended up dashing into a human wall. 

"I'm so sorry!" She gave an embarrassed smile as she glanced up at her slightly stunned, extremely attractive, and otherwise indifferent victim. The equally attractive man next to him pointed a finger at her. 

"Hey, doesn't she look like that model. . ." 

The use of a language she hadn't much heard in years incited her, more so than the recognition. "You're American!" she cried. 

Equally surprised, he blurted out, "Thank God!" before sheepishly grinning. "I'm Duo Maxwell." 

"Aino Minako—I mean Minako Aino," she quickly recovered and held out her hand. Duo shook it eagerly. 

"You have no idea how glad I am to meet another person besides Hiiro here who can actually speak English. I thought I was going to go insane either keeping quiet or talking to myself." 

She laughed lightly, relaxed and brimming with joy. "Are you two here for vacation?" 

"Something like that. This is Hiiro Yui, by the way, and his face is permanently fixed that way, so don't be insulted," he said very seriously, knowing full well that Hiiro would have been more impressed with bumping into a glass door. Sometimes, he really wondered if his friend was human. 

Minako stifled a giggle and turned curious eyes towards Hiiro. He was studying the room with an expression akin to masked disgust. She had to conclude that he was obviously not much of a people person. As if he had heard her thoughts, his eyes suddenly flicked coldly to her. 

Again, he was surprised by Aino Minako's eerie resemblance to Tsukino Usagi. At first impact, he had instinctively assumed it was the peculiar girl he had nearly killed by trying to save, but upon second glance, he noticed eye and hair colors were off. Her hair was arranged in a different style, her face was more oval-shaped than round, and proportions were completely different. He narrowed his eyes when he found her staring at him. 

Duo clapped Hiiro on the back, shifting the fixation of his glare. "We're going to be here for a few more weeks and I'd like to do some sightseeing. Hiiro's Japanese, but he's not familiar with this area. Do you think you could show us around sometime?" 

Hiiro protested in a low, grating purr. "Duo. . ." 

"What? Might as well make the best of our stay." 

She gave them a slightly puzzled look before beaming. "Don't worry, Hiiro. It's not like I'm going to kidnap you or anything," she teased, slightly disappointed in his lack of enthusiasm. A barely visible frown marred her smooth brow. 

Duo grinned much to Hiiro's displeasure. "Sunday's great." 

"How about twelve?" she suggested, smiling prettily when Duo nodded. Now, all she needed to figure out was who to bring along. Her mouth twitched into a mischievous grin at the number of single friends she had. "I have to go right now, but I'll see you guys on Sunday! Bye Duo, Hiiro!" 

Duo watched Minako race down the street appreciatively. "Great pair of legs," he muttered, and obstinately ignored the aggravation his partner was channeling towards him. He proceeded to exit Crown Fruit Parlor. 

Hiiro glared at his comrade's retreating back, then found himself glaring at Duo face-on as he strolled back in. He had the nerve to grin audaciously. 

"What are you standing there for? Mr. Perfect Soldier doesn't want to be late, does he?"

- - - - - - - - - -

_*hidoi = cruel, **baka = idiot [I actually don't like to use Japanese, but they sound better there xD]_

_AN: Sorry, no omake this time. x.x The next chapter will get more interesting, I promise. X__x Kay, I just had to get that off my chest to justify the crappiness and boringness and shortness of this chapter()(). ^^;; Haha, you guys thought he bumped into Usagi, huh? Huh?! Lol, but that wouldn't be as much fun :D Something was wrong with this chapter and I tried to go back and fix the part that disagreed with me, but I don't think I did a very good job. I'm not even really sure what it is, but something doesn't sound right. _ Rei's doll thing, I totally made up. . .but I tried to create a connection between the doll, Rei, and Usagi, not just the broken/lifeless part, but something else, too. Can anyone guess? ^_^_

_Thank you uber sweet reviewers!! ^^;; Seriously, I think I'm still trying to get over the fact that people are actually reviewing my story and not telling me to quit while I'm ahead. X_x;; I'm actually quite insecure, if you guys can't tell. ;;_

**Chibi Koneko**: You're welcome! ^^ I hope you're feeling better now. I really wonder who would win in a glaring contest between Hiiro and Sesshoumaru. *thinks* They're both pretty tough characters. . . Sesshoumaru is so much more elegant, though, compared to Hiiro. Hiiro is kind of more raw. Who do you think would win in a fight? XD Sesshoumaru is really swift, but Hiiro has a gun, and he's pretty fast, too. I'm so jealous of Rin ^^;; And I'm jealous of Trowa 'cause he probably saw Hiiro naked while he was taking care of him. _ *sighs* They're all so hot. *dies from heat stroke* 

**¤°°º°º°°¤|çé ß|úé Éyé§¤°°º°º°°¤**: Rofl, thanks!! XD I had fun writing that omake!! I was actually wandering around Chinatown when that idea popped up. I saw a little girl on her father's shoulders and I thought "Aww, that's so cute!" and then the idea just blossomed from there. :D!! I'll tell you a secret for the lack of Usagi and Hiiro. . . They're gonna go out on a date together xD in the next 2 or 3 chapters. Mwahahaha!! And, shameless plug: Have you read my other story: "The Pole"? Hehee, lots of H/U-ness, although it is a little more adult. I think I should've upped the rating. Oh well. ^^; LOL, I don't know about crack. O.o I always thought people smoked it. . . And I thought they snorted cocaine. Crack is like the poor man's cocaine or something. That's what I hear, I swear! I don't really do drugs! I'm a clean girl. ^^ 

**Ryen Selenity Caliburn**: Aww, thanks so much! I'm so happy that you think it's cool!! ^_^ Really, I'll try to get out a chapter a week. . .I think I may have two chapters already finished on my hard drive. . . just waiting for more reviews before I break it out. xD!! What can I say? I love reviews – it's not really the number that counts, but I like knowing that people are actually reading my stuff and enjoying it. Otherwise, I wouldn't be posting fics on the net, right? I'd just write it and read it myself. ^^;; 

**the Desert Fox**: Thanks for the review! ^^ Ohh, that was an omake, lol, so it has nothing to do with the actual story. I just wrote it because I thought it was kind of cute and fun and since the previous chapter had no Usagi, I inserted it to whet some appetites. ^^;; ROFL, I was wondering what you were talking about with the hypnotizing thing at first because I forgot I had put that in. Actually, the image of a scantily clad Hiiro performing that activity entertained me for about five minutes straight. Really, I couldn't stop laughing. Hee, sorry! I didn't mean to scare you! ^^;; 

**Liquid Ice**: *stutters* M-Me? Part of the Revolutionary Team?! @_@ Lol, that's so kind, but I don't think I deserve it! ^^()() Honestly, there are really a lot of great authors here. . .some of them just don't update enough. . .or they abandon their works. x_x Sometimes, when I just discover an old story and I see that it hasn't been updated since the dawn of time and with a trillion reviews begging for more, I refuse to read it. *coughShadowDancecough* ^^;;;;;;!! I mean, I would really, really, really like to read it, but why disappoint myself, right? T.T;; *hinthint* 

And thank you so much for all your beautiful words. *-* Your review was/is really uplifting! I keep reading it over and over again! Somebody stop me! ^^;; Heheh, I really do like to torture the characters. XD I'm so evil. . .but it makes them more real. I also like to romanticize torment and pain so I choose to describe it using flowery-type words. I love emotions; don't you? ;D Endless dramatization – I like that! Mwahaha! I just hope you'll still be interested in the story when it goes on for like ten billion chapters! ^^;; 

**Sunshine Fia**: Lol, I think I get what you mean. ^__^ It's like you understand it in the back of your mind, but you wouldn't really be able to explain it? That's how I feel about it, at least! I think the other G-boys will make their appearances in around five chapters. Makes you wonder how long this fic is really gonna be, huh? XD;; I wonder, too! Aww, sorry, but Relena is going to be in it. *sees her run far, far away from the fic* N-No, come back!! ;-; She won't really play a BIG part and I have a feeling she's going to get scratched up a lot, though there won't be bashing. ^^;; And the Usagi picture? It's cute, isn't it? I was just messing around with the @ signs and I thought "@ looks like a meatball!!" It's basically made up of 2 of / \ @, and a (^.^) lol :D 

**Arella Hallo**: Lol, I was just kidding around. ^^ I use 'interesting' as a filler word a lot of the time, too, because it's so. . .versatile. It's not good nor is it bad (though I usually lean towards the good when I use it ^^;;). I'm glad you find my style different. . .I think, heh heh. I'm not sure what you mean by my different style, though. O.o Do you mean writing-wise? Like the way I construct sentences, or do you mean by ideas? ^_^ And I'm so sorry! I realized when I was reading your review that I kept spelling your name wrong!! I don't know why, but I kept seeing "Hallo" as "Halo." *embarrassed grin* I'm really sorry! 

**Crystalstorm21**: Thankies! I'll try to update a chapter a week! ^_^ 

**kimeno-pebols**: Hai!! That scene actually was inspired by that episode, rofl! It was the one where that girl Saori likes Mamoru and then Chibi-Usa got all worked up about it and she was yelling at Usagi while Usagi was trying to decide between some plushies. Lol, I think you're the only one who caught it so far! ^__^ *gives her a chocolate cookie* MWEHEHEE I think this really is going to turn into a romance. The way this story is turning out, if I don't put them together, it'll be like real torture!! X_x I don't want to torment my characters THAT much. I like happy endings. :P 

**Angelight**: Heheh()()! Thank you!! XD You always give me such nice reviews ;-;!! Lol, I really think I go overboard with descriptions sometimes ;; 'cause I'm not very good with dialogue. How much SM have you seen? ^^;; I haven't seen the whole thing myself, but I would have to say my favorite arc is Stars. ^^;; I know what you mean when you said Usagi never really appealed to you in the anime, because o___o yeah, she was kind of annoying. Lol, but she was much more mature in Stars (including the end of Nehelenia) and still managed to be cute and funny. :D At certain points, it's actually very surprising with just how much insight to a person she really has. .;;; And I don't think I can manage to pull off such a feat with that idea. O.o I actually really, really want to see you write it ;D *nods* So you should consider it! ^_~ 

**Midnight of Shadows**: I know! Dirty Hiiro with the slippery hands xD!! Rofl, thanks for thinking it was fantastic 'cause I really didn't think so :D;; You're really too sweet ;.; But, aww, that sucks! ! I think I'd die if I lost my internet. . . I lub my DSL. I hope you get it fixed soon! But at least your dad is letting you use his computer. Anndd, if it's just the internet, it doesn't mean you can't stop writing!! :D YAY!!! I feel so special @_@!!! Three chapters!! *___*!!! And that wasn't a real cliffhanger .;; Lol, it's not who you expected, huh? Hehehh don't worry, they'll meet again sometime in the future and then things will really start to get interesting. ;D But-but, you didn't update!! T.T!! 

**CJ-Chan**: @.@ Yep, destiny changes. . .or does it? _ *smiles mysteriously. . .attempts to at least -.-* Actually, I really don't know. O.o The ending. . . the ending is very ambiguous. XD I don't have the whole thing written out, but I think I have the ending already. Mwahahaha!! I know what you mean about Hiiro/Heero. X.x I think I'm more used to Hiiro, and I use Hiiro because it looks better as Hii-chan. XD Hee-chan just doesn't do it for me, rofl. Reminds me too much of He-man and Hiiro as He-man is really too bizarre. O_o;;; I, too, have gone through the Mamo phase. XD I used to adore him so much. . .now. . .heh heh, he's just there. ^_^ Thanks for reviewing! ^^ 

**Heeros Bunny**: rofl, the Macarena. . . xD I don't even remember how to do it now, but I did at one point in my life! It was the coolest thing around. :D Oh, just the idea with the alternate dimension and Crystal Tokyo still happening and stuff lol! Anyhoo, it was just a funny thought that you'd abandon Heero in Crystal Tokyo after killing Endymion. Haha! He'd be like King. .; But if you stayed, you'd be Queen. :D Then you'd have Heero all to yourself! Lol, okay, thanks for reviewing! ^^ 

**themoonmaiden**: LOL, just a little crack. xD Yes and no to the first question! YES!! His demise was part of an elaborate scheme and nothing is as it seems. o_O!! Lol, I know it seems so boring now, but it'll get better. .!! As for Pluto. . . I still haven't decided what exactly to do with her, to tell you the truth. Supposedly, she's vanished off the face of the Earth so far, right? (And actually, that idea isn't too far off. . . ^^;;) As for Ami's theory, it is just a theory Ami came up with to deal with the situation. ^^;; So, it is very unlikely that her theory is true. . . though that would be totally cool if the Senshi were still walking around on the moon. Definitely, Usa cannot attempt suicide. x.x! But she is a little more adult now because of all the things that happened, and she is still herself after that talk with Rei in this chapter. ^^ Aww, ;-;!! *cries tears of joy* I'm so glad you'll still read it even if I don't turn it into a romance!! *sniffles* But guess what? I am. :D At the rate I'm going, NOT putting them together would just be TOO cruel! ^__^

**Usagi Asia Maxwell**: Asia-chan!! ^__^ Lol, I know it's confusing. xD It confused me plenty when I was writing it. ^^ I'm glad you enjoyed it though! And I'm going to keep saying this: this chapter is kindda boring, but it'll get better in the next chapter. X.x;; Heee, it'll probably only end up more confusing, but confusing people is fun. xD

_xD I think half the fic were replies to reviews, lmao. x.x;; I'm just in such talking mood right now!! ^^_


	5. And you know that it means so much

_Warning: I suck at making long chapters. ;-;_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon._

**And You Don't Seem to Understand**

Chapter 4

Usagi tuned out the animated conversation around her and tried to focus her attention on the significance of the way a line slashed through more lines. She squinted and found that when her vision blurred enough, it'd almost look like a cartoon cat. She giggled quietly at how silly it was. 

Ami, however, caught the inane sound and discreetly peered at Usagi's homework. She was a little less than halfway done, which was not bad amongst the madness that had ensued when Minako had burst in with news about the two 'indescribably gorgeous' men she had just met. She herself had been interested, but only for the first two minutes until she noticed Usagi studiously making an attempt at her Economics worksheet. 

Usagi was going into fashion design, but what she really wanted to do was cartooning. She was taking Economics as an elective because she wanted the familiarity of the course. Ami had been both afraid and impressed. She had wondered who had kidnapped Usagi and replaced her with such an ambitious clone. 

"So why don't you go with me on Sunday, Ami-chan?" 

She glanced up into Minako's eager face, taking note of the creepy intentions that glowed in her star-struck blue eyes. "For what?" 

"To meet the two guys! Weren't you paying attention at all?" Minako admonished with a wave of her finger. 

Ami smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I guess I wasn't. Why can't Rei-chan and Mako-chan go?" 

"Exams," she stated glumly with a defeated shrug of her shoulders. 

"Don't you have exams, too?" 

"I have one on Tuesday which gives me Monday to study for it!" 

Ami gave an uncomfortable laugh. Minako would always stay Minako; not even stardom with its unyielding power would change her. "Are you sure your modeling sessions won't take up too much time?" 

"Um. . ." 

"Minako-chan. . ." 

She grinned and flapped her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it! I'll make it for sure! Now, don't you want to meet those cute guys?" she said in a hushed voice, wriggling her eyebrows suggestively. 

"I would, but I'm only five chapters ahead for my Physics class." 

Rei and Makoto groaned in the background. 

Minako tried to smile without violently twitching as Ami glanced back down. She was about to further comment, but out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her fellow blonde. A sickeningly sweet smile spread across her face as she clambered towards her on her hands and knees. "Usagi-chan, I know you want to go with me!" 

"Hmm?" 

"Don't tell me you haven't been paying attention, either!" 

"Sorry, Minako-chan, but Economics is hard and I hate it and I don't even remember why I wanted to take it in the first place!" 

"For the experience," Ami supplied, never lifting her eyes from her textbook. The speed of light was all too fascinating. 

"Oh, yeah." 

Minako huffed with disappointment and shut her eyes. "You guys are no fun. I'll just have two hunky foreign guys to myself," she taunted, one sparkling blue eye popping open to measure reactions. She grinned wolfishly when Usagi looked up from her doodles and smiled. 

"Good luck, Minako-chan." 

----- 

"Hey, Minako! Over here!" 

She grinned in the doorway and headed over, only to find that Duo was alone. She dropped into the booth and glanced around. His friend was no where in sight. "Where's Hiiro?" 

Duo reproachfully shook his head, long braid swaying with each movement. "He didn't feel like coming." 

"Oh, that's too bad. He's the lone wolf type, isn't he?" 

"Yep. So what's good on the menu?" 

----- 

The sleek laptop beeped quietly in the still hotel room. Hiiro tapped a few keys and pulled up the e-mail, scanning it quickly. He frowned. 

It was from Trowa, who was now stationed with Wufei at the Sanq Kingdom since last week. Terrorist activities had suddenly picked up around Vice Foreign Minister Relena Peacecraft. Her personal secretary and several attendants had been seized with homicidal fits. Relena had been lucky to escape with minor injuries. When the offenders had been detained and questioned, they could not remember how or why they had come about to that situation. The government was in a pandemonium trying to find the source. Current possibilities involved hallucinogenic drugs, though none were found in their systems. It hadn't hit the news yet. 

----- 

She started. "The Sailor Senshi?" 

"Yeah, you know anything about them?" 

"Just what I hear from the news. . ." 

----- 

Broodingly, he clicked a button to return the message. 

----- 

She masked her frown of suspicion with an ignorant smile as Duo asked a few more questions about the Sailor Senshi. He was good at being subtle—like a true tourist who had an insatiable curiosity about the mysterious group of sailor-suited girls—but his questions were fixed and left no room for ambiguity. He would switch topics and then approach from a different angle. 

Minako was not easily fooled. She was familiar with this manner of questioning—afterall, she had participated in these activities back in England with the police. 

Which led her to wonder just who Duo Maxwell and Yui Hiiro were. 

----- 

Hiiro snapped his notebook shut and shrugged on his jacket. He was trapped between the unexplainable and the unexplainable. He was neither accustomed to it nor did he enjoy it. 

The sky outside was a milky blue. He slipped out of the hotel room. 

----- 

"So, where are you from, Duo?" inquired Minako as she leaned comfortably against the wall of the elevator. The machinery of Tokyo Tower was a soundless hum. 

"L2. I'm from the colonies." 

The elevator cruised to a stop and the doors opened. 

"Really? I'm actually headed there next month," she remarked thoughtfully as she stepped out and subtley changed the subject. "What do you do for a living?" 

He met her eyes. "I'm in the shipping trade. Minako—" 

She pasted on a bright smile and cursed in her head. He was a sly one. "Yes?" 

"Would you like to do this again sometime?" 

The hard light in her eyes gentled and she flushed becomingly. "That sounds great, Duo." 

----- 

He dropped the pile of books neatly onto the narrow table. The sound made a muffled echo through the empty library. Hiiro glared at the very top book and turned back to the shelves. 

Somehow, he had wandered from the medical section to the supernatural and occult. Information on drugs had been limited to LSD for its fear and paranoia-inducing properties. But as Trowa had revealed in the e-mail, no drugs had been found in their bloodstreams. 

He glared at the books with distaste. Demons and possessions were ridiculous—he didn't know why he even bothered with this garbage. Hiiro blamed Duo for the horror movie he had been so stubborn about watching on the television in their hotel room. With jaws clenched, he flipped brusquely to the first page. 

The chair across from his scraped back gently. Hiiro flicked his eyes up from the text just to keep track of the people surrounding him. A striking woman smiled enigmatically. 

"Hello," she greeted cordially. 

He grunted back unenthusiastically. 

She continued as if she hadn't noticed. "I couldn't help but notice the kinds of books you were gathering. Are you a superstitious person?" 

"No." 

"May I ask why you have such a inconsistent interest in science and demons?" 

He didn't answer because he didn't feel the need to explain himself to nosy people. 

The woman smiled indulgently. "Kaiou Michiru." 

He frowned and gave her another look. "Yui Hiiro." 

"After the assassinated Pacifist?" 

"Hn." 

"I see," Michiru stated thoughtfully, then folded her slim hands gracefully in front of her. "You look familiar, Yui-san. May I ask where you are from?" 

"L1," he muttered, staring hard at her. Now that she had said he looked familiar, he too began to wonder where and when he had seen her from. 

"The colonies? You wouldn't happen to know Mr. Winner?" 

Two faces overlapped in his mind's eye. "The violinist," he affirmed, recalling the reunion celebration Quatre had held a year ago on L4. It had been the last time he had seen Quatre person to person, although his face was now on the cover of hundreds of magazines across the Earth and the colonies. He was not only worth billions, but was also the galaxy's most eligible bachelor. 

The tender-hearted Quatre had decided to take the responsibility as the Winner heir as opposed to joining the Preventers. It had been a smart choice. 

Kaiou Michiru had been there, a special guest of Quatre's, performing on the violin with another woman on the piano. Word had it that the pianist was the fastest Formula One racer in Japan. Hiiro didn't care for such trivial information and he hadn't stayed the entire time to meet them. He had never been a fan of large social gatherings. 

"Do you think demons exist?" she inquired politely, breaking his train of thought. 

"No." 

She tucked a strand of wavy aqua hair behind her ear, not in the least disconcerted with his succinct answers. The melody still looped endlessly in her head, but somewhere along the way, another refrain had been added. It was tender, immature—this much she knew, though she hadn't the time to analyze it thoroughly yet. She also had the feeling Yui Hiiro had instigated it. "There are many different forms of demons, Yui-san, and those books cannot help you. Those are urban legends. The real demons all have to do with the heart." 

Hiiro couldn't decipher the meaning behind her words. "The heart?" he repeated, hoping to draw more information from her. 

Michiru nodded and stood. "Think on it. It was nice to see you again, Yui-san. Perhaps we'll meet again," she said mysteriously and left before he could get another word in edgewise. 

He watched her go, twice as tense and troubled as before.

_AN: o_o Okay, I'm making it so that Michiru and Haruka can speak English. . .because they seem like the types who can speak it. :P They're those really educated types, you know? XD Kay, anyways. . . . _

_*cackles loudly and rather insanely* Plot twist!! I see people were expecting Minako to take Usagi along, hrm, hrm? Sorry to disappoint you, ne, but I had to stick in the plot somewhere. XD Don't worry, next chapter will have uh. . .more plot and more Hiiro-Usagi interaction. O_o And because of that interaction, there will be some OOCness. . .mostly on Hiiro's part heh heh x_x() Although I do try to make up for that OOCness through, um, ulterior motives on Hiiro's behalf. Did you guys think I just killed Mamoru off for no reason and Usa and Hiiro were gonna get together and live happily ever after? >=D Not quite so. . . I must include more trials and tribulations for them to face!_

_And from now on, it'll be less confusing. . .I hope. Heheee() The first two chapters were produced from an occasional abstract-type mental state, thus the weirdness and contradiction and whatnot. I think now it'll become more concrete. ^^;;_

**Arella Hallo**: Ohh, I see now ^^;; I think I'm quite terrible at dialogue, so I find my comfort zone in descriptions. I apologize for the crappy dialogue. xD Thank you for keeping with the story and reviewing! ^_^

**the Desert Fox**: Lol, definitely! ^_^ That's where it was inspired from, actually. I love that scene! It's very funny. Heheh, nope, the other guys can't speak Japanese at all, which would make it very difficult for me to have meaningful interaction. xD I just realized that. Doh. Insane Duo o_O;; I would run for my life. Lol, j/k. I love Duo. ^^ He's cute! Hrmm, that also makes me wonder what I'm going to do with Quatre since he's not in the Preventers. Uh oh. =x 

**Liquid Ice**: YEAH!! Rei and Usagi are probably the closest friends out of all the senshi. I mean, Rei has a unique way of showing Usagi how much she cares about her, but they're really that close! I actually used to hate Rei _ but after I watched more of SM, she really grew on me. She is one of my favorites now ^^! I'm curious about other authors in the GW/SM area, too. xD I actually like this section more than the SM crossovers because it seems more intimate and familiar here. ^^;; It's just so big and wide in the SM crossovers section. x.x;; Ne, ne, you -must- update! Lol, I won't stop nagging you until you do! xD Don't worry about the grammar stuff! I'm thirsty for the cool ideas you have left unfinished. T.T I understand about never getting to finish them, though. x_x It's hard. . .I feel you! As for Hiiro XD!! I can't say he's been hit by Cupid's arrow, but it's so funny that you mentioned that! I had the next chapter written out already and then I read this review and I was like "Liquid Ice-san must be psychic!! @_@!!" Hehe, but Hiiro doesn't have those mellow-mellow feelings for Usagi. . .yet. ^_~;

**Allyna**: *eyes sparkling* Cool and different and wonderful. . . wow @_@ I'm shocked speechless! ^__^ Thank you for such. . .exhilarating words! Seriously, I was gaping/hyperventilating as I read that over and over again. ^^;; Lol, I understand about not liking to read long chapters of stuff. o.o I suffer from that occasionally, too. ^^;; Thank you for taking the time to read this, though! Ugh, school ! Good luck on finals! I haven't even had my midterms yet, thank God. o.o School started last week for me, but I'm already behind on reading. x_X Lol, thank you very much for that awesome wish O_O 400+ reviews. . .wow. xD It'd be like a dream come true. ^^ 

**Jupiter Angel**: Eeh~? You have an internet class?! XD No fair! I want one! Lol, what I wouldn't give to have an internet class. . .I'd totally ace that. ^^;; It's like the only thing I know how to do. And, I know! They -are- such a cute couple! :D Although I'm not opposed to Hiiro being with the other Senshi, I think Usagi and Hiiro are so adorable! XD Rofl, I think that little snippet is done.;; I was going to make an omake for this chapter, but I can't really think of anything. o.O My creative juices have dried out for the day. x_x 

**Usagi Asia Maxwell**: Yay! :D So you see the metaphor type stuff!! Lol, I actually hate analyzing books and literature for that stuff, but it's actually pretty fun to write it in. ^^;; I used to think it was such a waste of time analyzing stuff 'cause I thought the author probably didn't actually consciously put it in. o.O But after writing some semi-meaningful stuff, I see now that they probably did. ^^;; 

**Chibi Koneko**: Lol, that's true. Sesshie is a taiyoukai afterall. *sigh* X.x Lol, sorry, they didn't meet. They will next chapter, though O_O and then chaos will ensue. ^^ I can't wait for more "And I Thought My Family Was Weird," by the way! :D The sudden plot twists. . . @_@!! Very cool!!

**Crystalstorm21**: Thanks! ^^;; Even though I didn't think it was very good, hehe. ^^

**themoonmaiden**: Wheee~! Aww! You don't have to review every chapter! @.@!! Although I won't complain if you do ;D I'm just honored that you're even reading my stuff! *nodnods* Somehow, I just can't break up Haruka and Michiru. I think they're such a beautiful couple. . .I personally think they're a better couple than Usagi and Mamoru. _ In Stars, especially, I was just struck with sadness when. . .you know. . .stuff happened. Lol, I'm not sure if you've seen all of it, but I think you have, ne? ^_^ Usa and Rei -are- good friends. . .and I can't stand how those unspeakable betrayal stories make Rei the evil one. She'd never do that, never! Although, I think she was probably a little jealous when they found out Usagi was the princess in the anime. . . o.O But that's a whole other rant. Rofl :D I didn't mean to get your hopes up about the Senshi counterparts! I just didn't think any sensible ideas would stem out of it. x_X It would get more complicated. . .too complicated, I think, lol. ^_^ And the omake thing--REALLY? I wanna read! It was inspired by that SuperS episode. ^_^

**Heero's Bunny**: LOL! Handcuffing Hiiro to a chair. Oh dear. . . . All the things you could do to a handcuffed Hiiro. . .though he'd probably get out of those cuffs somehow, just because he's Hiiro. ^_^;; Ack, I'll update, I'll update. X_X I don't wanna be tortured!

**Sunshine Fia**: *nodnods* Poor Usagi, even though she's sorta over it, she's still dwelling on it. *sighs* Lol, I know! How could Mamoru kill himself?! How could he make Usagi sad? How could he even think of doing such a terrible thing?! *touches the tips of her fingers together a la Mr. Burns style* Nothing is as it seems. ^_~ True intentions will be revealed in time. . . ^^;; It shall be revealed in time. . . . Sorry about Usagi and Hiiro not meeting here, but they will next time. ^_^ It'll be an interesting meeting, too! :D Ohh, you almost made it! Just gotta separate the / and \, and the two @'s by a few spaces. ^^

**Angelight**: O_O;; @ the disembodied hands()() ^^;; Not yet, though! There will be maybe one or two more chapters before that happens. ;; I know what you mean by the inners interactions--they're so personal and comfortable with each other, even though they're all so different. :D What great friends! Ahh! I actually never saw the episode where Minako posed as Sailor Moon. ;__; I wanted that episode so badly, but I couldn't find it. I didn't get to watch a lot of S because for some reason, my cable didn't (and still doesn't) support Cartoon Network. o.o I used to watch it on UPN, some local channel, but they didn't show any after R. It sucked. T.T And I couldn't find it online. x.x Lol, I understand the thing about Usagi and not being able to separate from her. !_! I find it hard to write about anyone else, too, although I sorta have an idea as to why. I think what I like most about her is how reliably naive she is. . .in other words, how much she and I are not alike. Haha, I'm so jaded and Usagi is just so undefiled by that stuff. I guess people say she's led the charmed life, but even fighting hasn't changed that. Hehh, I think it's cool and very admirable. ^^;; Other stuff I can relate to, though, like the emptiness inside of her head, and her clumsiness, and her poor grades. _;; Yayay! Think, think, Angelight-sama! Thinking is fun when it's not about school!! :D I hope you're working hard on the next chapter to Cross My Heart. ;D

**Sailor Grape**: 0_0!! was my reaction when I was reading your review. Lol, well, it started with your name. XD I (and I'm sure billions of other people) have been wondering where in the world you went! I keep hoping to see an update for MSWG! I first started reading it at MediaMiner and then I found it here. :D I'm sorry about your writer's block T.T but I'll try and wait patiently for the next chapter. XD I've noticed a lot of people going into the HP realm, and unfortunately (or fortunately), I've never gotten into HP. ^^;; I'm glad that you my story has caught your interest and I'm actually very exicted that it's confusing. XD I like doing the anime thing. . .where you start somewhere and then slowly reveal more and more about the past and how the characters got to the situation they're in now. ^_^


	6. And you don't even feel a thing

_Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and Gundam Wing do not belong to me._

**And You Don't Seem to Understand**

Chapter 5 

Usagi stifled a yawn as she wandered through the deserted hallways after a productive hour in her cartooning club. The head coordinator said she was getting better at drawing things other than rabbits, which was a great encouragement to her. Secretly, she had begun her own _shoujo manga_ about a girl who sacrificed her childhood as war consumed her village. She became the heroine, but on the way to destroy her enemy, she fell in love with him. 

So far, her character designs had not turned out too well. Usagi couldn't decide how she wanted to fashion her characters, so currently, they were all professionally drawn stick figures. 

She rounded a corner, eyebrows knitted in deliberation. A familiar voice caught her attention. Her ears perked with interest. 

"If there is anything else you remember, contact us at this number." 

It was a quiet voice, but authoritative. It was a voice that left no room for questions. She frowned a little, trying to place it, and peeked sneakily into the teacher's lounge. 

Large violet eyes framed by thick, brown lashes stared back at her. She shrieked in surprise and stumbled backwards, landing on her rear. Her book bag skittered across the floor. 

Duo straightened and winced. "I think she broke my ears." 

"What did you do?" 

"Excuse me, but I didn't do anything. This girl was eavesdropping," Duo muttered huffily, inclining his head towards the blonde who was still on the floor. 

Usagi pouted at the quick exchange of English, managing to pick up the word 'girl.' She stood to her feet and dusted herself off as the other speaker stepped in front of her. She raised her head, hoping she wasn't going to be in too much trouble. 

"Tsukino Usagi. . ." 

Her eyes widened. "Hiiro-san!" Without thinking, she hugged him. "How are you?" 

Hiiro found himself stripped of all reflexes. It was somehow all very surreal—from their very first meeting to the resurfacing of that memory upon the accident with Aino Minako to Usagi embracing him like an old friend she hadn't seen in years. He continued to stand slightly perturbed as she pulled away. 

"What are you doing here? You're not applying to become a teacher, are you?" 

"No—" he said, once he regained his senses. 

Then with a finger pointed towards Duo: "Is she your sister?" 

The swift change of topic brought him to reality and he could not prevent the twitch of a smirk from seizing his lips. Despite the disturbing insinuation that he could be even remotely related to Duo, he could not help but be amused. There would be at least one uplifting point in Duo's inability to speak and understand the language. 

"No. He's my. . .friend." 

Usagi looked at him dubiously, then at the long chestnut braid that hung over the youth's shoulder. "He's a boy?" she marveled. Instantly, she thought of her and Minako's adventures with Haruka. She giggled. 

Duo, not content in being neglected, tapped his foot impatiently. He didn't like being left out and he wanted to know how Hiiro had come to make the acquaintance of such a pretty girl without sending her running for her life. It was almost preposterous. 

"Where did you meet her and what's she saying?" he pressed, overflowing with curiosity. He eyed the couple, nearly pouncing on Usagi's hand when she extended it to him. She spouted off what he could only assume was a sentence in Japanese. He grinned, not understanding a word. "What?" 

"Her name is Usagi Tsukino and she's pleased to meet you." 

Duo rolled the name around on his tongue and released it in a gross distortion. Hiiro smirked. 

"Bunny. Usagi translates to rabbit." 

Duo raised a chestnut colored eyebrow and chortled. It must've been a Japanese thing. "Her name is Bunny? That's a pretty strange name, but cute. Suits her." 

Usagi watched on with an inquisitive smile when Duo started laughing. Bunny sounded like 'bun' and she knew what buns were. They were American for a type of bread. She grinned and giggled, though she wasn't quite sure why Duo found it so funny. And what did buns have to do with her? She blinked when she found the strange American studying her. 

Duo cleared his throat and smiled cheekily at her. "_Denwa bango wa nandesuka._"* he inquired with the one line he had picked up in Japanese. He ignored Hiiro's derisive grunt. 

She positively beamed at him and innocently replied, "_San kyuu go go no roku hachi san ichi_."** 

"_San_ blah blah what? Hey, Hiiro, what'd she say?" 

Hiiro pretended like he hadn't heard. 

"Fine, you big party-pooper," he muttered crossly under his breath. "You never told me you met such a babe, but then again, you never tell me much of anything. Where and when did you meet her? And isn't she a little too young for you? She looks like she's fifteen," he prattled off, either not realizing or not caring about the twitch of annoyance in his partner's jaw. 

Hiiro answered with a restrained voice, "Not important." 

"So how old is she?" 

He glanced down at Usagi, who looked confused and mildly vexed—most likely from being ignored. "How old are you?" 

"Seventeen," she chirped brightly and without thought, though she did half-wonder about what they had been chatting about earlier. "I'm turning eighteen in June." 

"She's seventeen," he relayed, staring hard at her in an attempt to place her. Usagi reminded him of someone—someone other than Aino Minako—but he couldn't quite identify who. Recollection was more than useless; her visage would blur in his head, his thoughts would jumble, and all it managed to leave was a disorientating headache. It was disconcerting, but he doubted she knew anything relevant to their job and mission. She was just another girl. She was a civilian. She was an innocent. 

"Have you asked her about business? She's in that age range," Duo suggested, tucking his hands behind his head. 

"No." 

Duo gave him a funny look. "So?" 

He frowned, blinking his eyes back into focus. "I don't think she knows anything." 

The answer didn't sit well with Duo—Hiiro never said, 'I don't think. . .' It was always one thing or another, never in between. It was unusual for Hiiro to leave out information pertaining to business and even stranger that he was reluctant to ask a few questions. Although it was largely possible that Hiiro had grilled her whenever the two had met, Hiiro was still not giving him the whole story. There were no explanations except for the girl, and God forbid that the Perfect Soldier was actually feeling. However, Duo hadn't missed that fleeting mystified expression in his empty blue eyes when Bunny had hugged him. 

. . .Which lead him to speculate on her character and intellect. She was either extremely brave or extremely stupid, but that was a whole other story. 

He did have to wonder just what exactly their relationship was, but for now, he had to overlook it. "I take that back. Well, it's about time for our appointment. We should get going." Duo nudged his self-contained colleague. 

Hiiro briskly nodded once and turned to leave before Duo dragged him back by the collar. He glowered. "What?" 

"Don't you think you should maybe say 'bye' or 'see you later'?" 

He never said good-bye. He suddenly felt sluggish and awkward as he looked at puzzled blonde, smiling obliviously. Duo breathing down his neck did not help. 

Usagi almost lost her breath when Hiiro's smoky eyes suddenly locked on hers. She jumped when he uttered her name. 

"Usagi. Good-bye." 

It took her two full seconds to digest his words, two extra long seconds of staring into the void that seemed to swallow her entire being whole and suck the very life out of her. But the more they seemed to draw in her existence, the stronger her spirit became and the stronger her desire to fill that dismal abyss grew. Her spirit swelled like a rising tide within her, expanding as quick as he took her in. 

The image of Mamoru shifted over him and she had to bite her tongue to keep from crying out his name. Liquid copper welled up in her mouth. The last second ended. She found herself staring at Hiiro's retreating back. 

Their eyes had been the same. 

The revelation was staggering. Usagi swallowed the blood on her tongue, feeling wretched and nauseous. Her hands had turned to ice, laced with a fine, unsettling shaking. She called out to him, tears ready to spring to her eyes if he shunned her. "Don't go!" 

He turned abruptly at her outburst. 

"I-I mean, Hiiro-san—" Her breath came quick and uncertain. "—Are you busy on Saturday?" 

Hiiro stared at her. "No." 

"Would you like to do something?" 

"Do what?" 

She hugged herself tightly, wrapping her fingers around her sides to hide her shaking hands. Her eyes dropped to the floor. "Do something with me." 

"Do what?" Hiiro repeated, unsure of what she was asking of him. After saying his good-bye, she had looked so worn out. She had reverted to that withdrawn girl standing alone on the bridge. He didn't understand her sudden change of disposition. 

Usagi pouted, growing flustered. "Feed the ducks!" She shuffled her feet to get her circulation going again, waiting for his answer. 

Peculiar idea. Why would she want to feed ducks? If animals could not fend for themselves, then they had no right to survive. It was the survival of the fittest in this world; did she not know? But who was he to preach when he couldn't even follow the own principles taught to him? 

"We don't really have to feed the ducks. We could do something else," she said tactfully, feeling very small and inexperienced. She smiled hesitantly. 

"Hn." 

Her lashes fluttered as she dared to glance up at him, uncertain of the meaning but willing to take the benefit of the doubt. "Is that a yes?" she asked with breath abated. 

"Yes!" came the ecstatic answer in English. Duo dimpled at her. Of course he didn't know what they were really talking about, but if his instincts were right, she was asking his socially inept buddy out on a date. The ambiance was practically humming with the beginnings of a newborn _something_. His concerns for Hiiro's and Bunny's relationship were put to rest. By night, Duo was _Shinigami_, God of Death, but by day, he was Cupid, God of Love. 

Duo quieted Hiiro before he could object. "Just go out with her. She seems like a nice kid." 

His face visibly darkened. "Don't make decisions for me." 

"Hiiro, you've got to loosen up. You should be flattered that she even wants to go out with you." 

Hiiro didn't seem to care one way or another. 

Duo sighed, insolently swinging an arm around Hiiro's shoulders. "It's a one time thing. If things go wrong, you could always tell her you don't live here and besides, what's the worse that could happen? Her hugging you again?" 

He scowled at the taunting lilt of Duo's voice and how much sense he was beginning to make. 

"Come on, just look at her." 

He did. Usagi was staring at him with an expectant expression; if she was at all insulted by his animosity, she didn't show it. 

"Why?" he ventured to ask, voice low and serious. 

Her smile never wavered. "Because I want to know you." 

Hiiro shrugged off Duo's arm, not completely content with her answer.

"Please."

She said it like she would become absolutely nothing if he said no. There were a million reasons to decline, but right now, he couldn't even remember one. "Saturday," he finally said, unable to ignore her plea, "one o'clock at the front gate in the park." 

A content smile spread across her lips. "Thank you, Hiiro-san." 

He half-expected her to embrace him again. "Good-bye, Usagi." He nodded as he turned away. 

"Bye Hiiro-san, bye Duo-san!" 

Duo raised his hand in a wave, giving the back of Hiiro's head a hard look before grinning at her. "Bye Bunny." 

She watched them disappear around a corner and started walking towards the back exit. 

----- 

"Two men from the colonies came by earlier this afternoon asking about any supernatural incidents around the Tokyo area. They had some information that suggested I knew something." 

Ami thoughtfully frowned. "They didn't say why they needed to know?" 

"Said they wanted to give the Senshi global recognition. They're hoping to publish a book." Rei snorted inelegantly and composed herself with a sip of tea. "Apparently, they know the shrine was the site of many unexplainable occurrences. What I don't understand is how two outsiders know." 

Makoto stretched out lazily and folded her arms behind her head. "Well, I'm sure we were broadcasted all over the Earth and colonies. You guys did tell me there was that one time with the disappearing busses around this area and it was all over the news. Besides, there were a lot of battles here." 

Across from her, Luna paced the room. "Were they from the government?" 

"Right. They called themselves the 'Preventers,' I think." 

Footsteps pounded up the wooden steps and the screen door was rudely thrown aside. Usagi stopped panting only long enough to grin sheepishly in the doorway. "Sorry!" 

"You're late!" Rei barked, shooting her a glare. The tardy blonde blithely ignored it. 

"It wasn't my fault. I bumped into somebody I met. . ." she paused, not wanting to explain exactly how they had met or what exactly ensued. "Somebody I met a few weeks ago," she finished quickly and seated herself when the group's interest diminished. 

"We were just talking about some visitors who wanted to know about the _youma_ that had frequented the shrine," the cat informed as her charge plopped down beside her. She swished her sleek midnight tail in annoyance when Usagi launched herself at the dish of goodies in the center of the table. 

"Huh?" she mumbled around a muffin and swallowed, shedding crumbs from around her mouth. "Why would they want to know? Nothing has happened for about two years. 

"That's the million dollar question," sighed Makoto from the other side. 

Usagi echoed her sigh. "I could buy a lot of _manga_ with a million dollars." 

"Usagi!" 

"I'm right here, Rei-chan! You don't have to scream," she muttered with an irate pout, already reaching for another baked good. 

Makoto and Luna rolled their eyes. 

"I wasn't screaming!" she growled and slapped at Usagi's hand. "This is important, so pay attention!" 

She made a sour face and cradled her wounded hand, wondering if another pastry was worth the wrath of Rei. "If we're not in any danger, we probably don't have to worry about it." 

Ami, ever cautious, drew up some statistics in her head. She concluded that the possibility of the blonde being right was one in ten-thousand—in other words, very slim. "Just in case, we should probably wait to see if they come back. Technology has really advanced and there have been increasing public implications of spiritual and otherwise unexplainable methods in the research of evidence nowadays." She delicately sipped her tea. 

"That's interesting, Ami-chan," Usagi nodded pensively, one hand cupping her chin, "but what did you just say?" 

Luna quickly leapt into Rei's lap and smacked both paws over the priestess's ready-to-snap mouth. "I think she means there might be a new opponent somewhere in the galaxy and those two men were trying to gather information for reference." She eyed Rei, who had developed a nasty looking tick in her forehead. The hair on Luna's back stood on end as she dropped her paws, fearing for her hide. "H-Have you consulted the Fire, Rei-chan?" 

The expression of deadly intent faded from her face. She nodded. "But there wasn't anything unusual and they were full humans," she added, glancing at quiet brunette who had swiftly sat up. The frustrated frown in Makoto's expressive jade eyes matched her own. 

"This sucks. What the hell are we going to do when something happens? What the hell can we do without our transformation?" she demanded, slamming a fist onto the table. The delicate china teacups clanked as they jumped with Makoto's excitement. The room shivered into silence. 

Ami looked up sharply and quietly from the clattering porcelain to Makoto. She was right, undeniably so, but getting so worked up over it would benefit no one. Usagi was staring inaudibly at her hands, and Ami could not prevent the forked tongue of dread from snaking up her spine. Makoto had declared her frustration with all good intentions, but bringing up their former alter-egos only served to beget a touchier subject. 

There was a very subtle change in atmosphere, so faint that she had afforded it to her imagination. Usagi spoke suddenly, and the sensation became only a distant, dimming perception within the deep recesses of her mind. 

"Nothing's going to happen." 

Makoto fluid green eyes flicked upwards, filling with open guilt. She shook her head as as if she was trying to shake away the part of her that always performed before conscious thought. Her mouth opened to speak, "Usagi-chan—I didn't mean. . ." and the words melted into pale wisps on her tongue. 

Usagi smiled weakly—the tension was beginning to suffocate her. "It probably has nothing to do with us. The Sailor Senshi are gone." The room fell into an awkward silence. 

It always ended with uncomfortable silences and remorseful looks. They were what made her feel at fault for that gaping discomfiture. She couldn't help but think she was to blame for the incapability to speak freely about it. 

"Maybe it was meant to be this way," Usagi whispered softly. "At least now we can choose who we want to be, right?" She bit her lip and hoped they would agree with the optimism she had worked so hard to restore. 

"Usagi-chan is right. Graduation is coming up soon. Has anyone received their acceptance letters?" Rei asked, indebted to Ami when she jumped right away into a spiel about Tokyo University and their well-respected medical program. Ten minutes later, Makoto interrupted her to talk about the culinary school she fantasized of going to. 

Rei let her stiff shoulders fall loose as she nodded along to the conversation, remembering just how true Usagi's words were. They needed to look toward the future. They needed to let go. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the grateful smile on Usagi, one that signified all that was impending. 

----- 

Weird idea/"preview" type thing. 

It was the whirring of the air in the ventilation system that woke him up. 

He was sure of it—that the whirring came from the ventilation system of the sterile and spacious room he was currently residing in. He had laid with his eyes closed until he knew. 

He didn't remember the transition from unconsciousness to consciousness. He didn't know if there actually had been one. Perhaps he hadn't been asleep at all. Perhaps he had been awake the entire time but only now had the background noise managed to rouse into him the minute sensations that quivered around him. 

He was cold. 

The rhythm of the heart monitor above him both soothed and disturbed him.

There were two people in the room. 

He was lying unbound in a medical examination bed. 

He opened his eyes.

_*What is your telephone number? **3955-6831 (I know there are 4 digits in the first part, but that's how it was in my Japanese book)_

_AN: ?! *gasps* Usagi asked Hiiro out on a date?! And he agreed?! It's the end of the world!! Haha XP Well, he had to agree. Otherwise there'd be no story! Rofl, I told you guys there'd be OOCness on Hiiro's part. I'm foreshadowing something in that last sentence. . . It's going to lead to bigger things, so stay tuned! O_o;; _

_For the "preview" . . . just some weirdness that wouldn't leave me when I was showering, lol. I swear it was the Cowboy Bebop episode I watched some night (early morning) last week or something. Well, the idea was sort of ripped off of Faye. Heh, I love Faye Valentine. ^_^ Will not exactly be continued, that's why I put it in this fic. __Next installment will come with the next chapter. . .which is mostly typed out, but I gotta do some fine-tuning. Then, sad to say, this fic will progress much more slowly from there. _;_

**the Desert Fox**: Lol, don't be confused! Trowa, Wufei, and Quatre will also not be able to speak Japanese. ^^ But, Haruka and Michiru can. . . and Ami will be able to, more or less, as will Artemis since he was with Minako in England. I don't think Q-man and Michelle are going to get together because I really adore Haruka/Michiru. ^^ The Rei/Wufei pairing I could take, since I haven't really done anything with them yet. Dangit, this just goes to show how little of GW I know. Hehh, let's just say that Trowa and Wufei joined up with the Preventers. Trowa and Duo are in it only for super duper special projects and Wufei and Hiiro for life. _ How does that sound? I should somehow project this idea into my fic. :D Wow, thanks for the inspiration!! Honestly, I have no idea what Vulcanus is o__O or what the Battlefield of Pacifists is, either. X_X Ah, I feel so inept. I'm sorry if I get GW stuff wrong. I'm more of a Sailormoon-oriented fan. ^^;;;

**Chibi Koneko**: Doumo!! ^__^ I honestly don't know if it's a Duo/Minako. o.O It could be! XD For sure it's an H/U. . .I'm not sure about the other characters, rofl. ^^;

**Usagi Asia Maxwell**: Heart of Darkness? o.O Okay, I'll make sure to stay away from that, lol. Hehehh, I'm not sure if I'm writing it for superficial pleasures _ I mean, I wrote some stuff out, but. . . dangit, I dunno XD I'm confusing myself. This fic is getting too complicated for me. X_X *head explodes* I only love weekends if I'm not behind on schoolwork. ;D

**Sailor Grape**: . . .!! Has it really been a year? Time really goes by so fast. . . I'm very glad that you're continuing MSWG ;D You have no idea how happy I am. I may not sound it, but I'm screaming in joy right now. ;D Yeah, Minako is so not just another pretty face. I love Minako ^_^ Yep, she's bound to do some investigating on her own which will probably lead to more chaos, and writing this right now is starting to inspire me. XD Yesss, since she's in L2 right now, what will she stumble across?! I don't know, but it better be interesting! Much more H/U interaction to come, and the Mamoru-haters/Hiiro-worshipers will hate me later. *obnoxious laugh* Of course I'm not resurrecting Mamoru or anything, but I'm sure there will be disagreements between the readers and some of my ideas. ^^;;

**Liquid Ice**: OMG, THAT WAS SUCH AN AWESOME REVIEW. *takes a deep breath* WOW! I mean, seriously, I was so happy to read about your views and about how this is developing so far! You're very insightful!! ^__^ You're totally right on the dot!! O_O!! Lol, you're so good at reading into things!! @_@!! I was actually very intent on having Usagi and Hiiro chase each other by a second away (and I totally loved how you phrased this "dance" *.*), but it would complicate things so much that my miniscule brain would overload and then I would either die or suffer from some sort of brain damage and then I'll never be able to finish this. XD lol, so I had them meet this chapter, although their identities will be hush-hush. ^~ Like Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen, ne? Lol _ *gets lynched for comparing Hiiro to Mamoru by Mamoru-haters* X_X;; Geh. Hehe *nods* Hiiro is fascinated. . .but for what reasons? _ *wiggles her eyebrows* In the prologue, he thought she was kind of familiar, so I think he's trying to build up on that familiarity. Michiru was starting to get freaky XD I blame it on the song she's stuck on. X_X Lord knows I'd go crazy if I had the same song running through my head for weeks. *dies* So Hiiro is curious (as a kitten, aww! Hii-neko!) 'cause the mission does come first and Michiru seems to know –something-. . . Lolol, I know that thing about Hiiro never being confused, and I would have to agree on certain levels. ^_^;; But now, he's in a sticky situation that cannot be defined by scientific terms. O.o It's not about building/taking apart a Gundam, it's not hacking into government files (since he's got all that info already), and it's not so black and white, but very gray and even a little pink. o.O Did that make sense? Hehe() Definitely! Angelight also mentioned that ^^ about the inners being so close and warm. I really felt like I needed to bring that out. *oogey gooey sigh* ;D Usagi IS cute. :D!! I'm glad people think that!! XD So she is a little out there, but she can be so dense sometimes and it's just adorable. ^^! We should get on MSN and talk some more!! :D 

**Crystalstorm21**: Thank you!! *giggles* I hope I update soon, too! o__o But midterms are coming next week and I'm so unprepared. ^__^;; 

**Char**: Wow, thank you! I think this is the first time someone's called me mature, rofl. I've been called disciplined before, and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be offended or not. Doesn't disciplined just sound like a nicer way of saying tight-ass? _;; Lol, anyways, I really do try to think when I write. I like creating sentences that will sort of mean something. ^_^ Now, if only I could SPEAK like that. Hehehehh()! 

**Heero's Bunny**: LOL Heero's torture chamber! That's so funny! XD Poor Heero. . . in leather. Black leather. Omg, he'd look so good in black leather. o_O!! Yummy~! ^__^ 

**Arella Hallo**: Ah, I'm sleepy, too. X__x It's 3:24 AM and I had a big ice cream sundae at 12 AM. And my internet is not working. . .so this'll have to wait until tomorrow to be posted. Now it's time to conk out. ^^;; 

**Fuuga Kumi**: Wai~ Thank you . but my characterizations are totally off! Haha, I'm trying to keep them in, but it's hard. ^__^ Ne, ne, I'm totally waiting for the next chapter of One Step Closer!! Argh, I need to know what happened! ;_; Pity me, pity me, and put up a new chapter, please? ^^ Yah! Michi-chan was all mysterious and freaky, but she'll calm down. . .I hope. o.O 

**¤°°º°º°°¤|çé ß|úé Éyé§¤°°º°º°°¤**: Oh no, I hope your grandma is okay!! =[ And I hope you and your family are okay! I'm so glad your car didn't flip. . .just watching them on TV really scare me. I got into a car accident a few weeks ago, but it was a small one. I'm so sorry about all the stuff that's been going on. _ I hate losing money, maybe even more so than failing a test. _!! *huggles* It's okay. . .maybe next week all the good stuff will double! ^_^;; Lol, I'll put the cherry up on display so I can have it and not eat it. XD I'll preserve it. Mwahaha demons of the heart will be the theme of this fic. ^^;; *nodnods* It shall be explained in time. . . XD Heee, Usa's not so much hung up on Mamoru anymore, but it still hurts her every so often. She promised Rei to be her cheerful self again, so she's pretty much reverted back to silly Usagi ^^;; *huggles* Ganbaru! Jia you! Good luck! . 

**Delphine Pryde**: Lol, thanks! It really is surprising that people think I write well because. . .I rarely get A's on my English papers. o.o Teachers always complain that I don't go in-depth enough or something to that extent, so I'm not very confident. ^^; 

**Kolinshar Jackie-chan Benito**: Omg, I never expected to get a review from you, either!! @_@ I love your fics XD They're all so original and so VERY FUNNY. O_O *calms down a little* And-and. . . omg, is that a Tasuki/Usagi fic that I see in the works?! *hyperventilates* AAHHHH!! I've been so desperate for a good Tasu/Usa fic because Kurosu doesn't update hers _ and that one was so uber cute! *dies and glomps the future project from the dead* ;D I can't wait to read it, ne ne, and the next installment of Sleeping Beauty backwards xD and of course The Chronicles of Hiiro Yui. *deep sigh* I'm so happy. ^__^

**Sailor-Destin**: Ohh, it's okay! ^_^ I used to go on Neopets a lot. x__x Like waaayy much. But then I fell out of it and I think all my pets are starving to death now. I think they've been starving for like 3 years now. rofl, I'm such a bad owner. T_T

**Angelight**: Waiii yesh xD Darn all these metaphors that I'm not quite sure how to tie into the story. Haha, they sounded cool when I started writing them. . .now I'm not so sure. ^^;; Oh ho ho, they'll meet Relena some time in the near future. . .and Ms. Peacecraft is going to play somewhat important role. o.O But, she'll be mentally stable for the most part, lol. I actually don't like to bash characters in general. . .I'll read them, and I'll do it in humor/parody. ^^ YAH, I need that episode. x_x I've seen pictures of it I think. . .I actually think I have seen it, I just don't remember from where. Minako really didn't look much like Usagi with her hair up, which sorta surprised me. ^^;; Anymahoo, where's Cross My Heart? :D

**Tiger Tiger2**: Lol, very possible. I think I was depressed for a while a few years ago. . . Well, either I was depressed, antisocial, or on PMS. Lol, who knows. ^^;; I need medication.


	7. Will turn to whisper in your ear

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing._

**And You Don't Seem to Understand**

Chapter 6

This truly had to be the bane of his existence. 

It wasn't that Wufei had anything better to do than go through lists and lists of endless names and submit them to memory, but that he'd rather be out exhibiting his physical competency by actually protecting the Vice Foreign Minister. 

But no, some too-arrogant and overbearing woman had placed him in charge of background checks of anyone who had within a twenty-five degree association with Relena Darlian. Nevermind that she was head bodyguard to possibly the current most powerful woman in the world. 

Wufei shuffled through another packet of personal files, frowning at the echo of crinkling pages in the eerily silent research room. It was all very meaningless. Most of the lesser and more superfluous personnel had been dismissed. Those closest to Relena consisted strangely of four women. Her bodyguard was a statuesque brunette, forest green hair styled short surrounding a pale face with a permanent expression of such intimidation that it became worthy of Wufei's hard-to-earn respect. 

The three other women were Relena's Chief Advisor, lawyer, and personal aide. He had found it strange that they had not been in the least affected by the 'plague,' dubbed by Relena herself. He had found it even stranger that they began working for the woman only a year ago and were all employed around the same time. 

Very suspicious indeed, but they were very efficient in doing their jobs. The bodyguard shadowed Relena all day, and wasn't half bad at fighting off those entrenched with the hypnotic seizures. Her Chief Advisor had never once led Relena astray, and her lawyer had managed to keep the press off her back. He didn't have as many kind words for the attendent, however. The woman was vain and catty, though very friendly with who he had been ordered to protect. She was also tagging along on Relena's diplomatic trip to L2 tomorrow, much to his chagrin. 

Footsteps echoed down the hallway. Wufei glanced up at the doorway. 

"How is it coming along?" Trowa inquired with a brief nod in greeting. 

"It's fantastic," Wufei sneered sarcastically, throwing down the stacks of neatly arranged papers in a huff. "I did not accept this assignment to look through papers." 

Trowa folded his arms over his chest, bowing his head in thought. "What have you come across so far?" 

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." 

"I don't trust them." 

Wufei looked up sharply. "That's two of us." 

Trowa allowed him an understanding nod and puzzled over their situation again, because that was what this catastrophe was—a maddening puzzle. Those four women hadn't displayed any danger or ill-intent toward Relena, he didn't know where they fit in. Their background checks had been too clean and too perfect to be real—not even a speeding ticket lay craftily in their records. He had reason to believe their histories were fraudulent, and he was sure Wufei felt the exact same. 

And at the same time, he and Wufei did not necessarily agree with everything the women had to suggest, they managed to be civil with each other. It was Relena's desire for them to get along, although she herself was slightly wary of them. 

They caught the scent of light and airy perfume before they heard the sharp, no-nonsense clack of high heels. Trowa let his fine line of thought culminate as Wufei stared at the Chief Advisor with a bored expression. 

"Miss Relena requests your attendance." The woman gave them an aloof smile, amber eyes landing on the packet of papers stacked messily on the desk. "Not going too well, is it?" 

Wufei snorted, rising to his feet. "There is absolutely no point in doing this. There are no motives," he stated disdainfully. "We were given orders to serve as bodyguards, not to do this menial work." 

She frowned delicately. "Forgive Petz. She's a very cautious woman and she doesn't like outsiders." 

"Outsiders?" Trowa curiously raised an eyebrow. 

"You're from the colonies. She doesn't like people who were born outside of the Earth." 

Wufei's eyes narrowed into two scornful fragments of flint. "Why?" 

"A long story," she said at length, smoothing back a few strands of auburn hair that had managed to come undone from her simple bun, "and I don't think she would appreciate me telling you." She smiled again, face slipping back into a well-practiced mask of indifference. "We should get going." 

Trowa raised his head abruptly as she turned away. Her answer bothered him. Relena's head bodyguard did not seem as irrational to be prejudiced against those born outside of the Earth. "Calaveras—" 

She looked over her shoulder. "Yes?" 

"You were born in Japan, am I correct?" 

"Yes. I was born in Tokyo." 

"Petz, Beruche, and Cooan, also?" 

"Yes." 

"Your English is impeccable." 

"We went to academically challenging schools," she answered without so much of a bat of an eyelash. 

Trowa, undaunted, continued, "How did you meet them?" 

Calaveras smiled tightly. The forcefulness that went behind it did not go unnoticed by either Trowa or Wufei. "We were very close as children. If you're wondering also how we came to work here, it was because a woman notified us of four opening positions. I'm afraid I don't know her name or where I could find her again," she explained with a note of finality. "I think we've kept Miss Relena waiting long enough." 

Wufei frowned as she turned again to leave. She held her head high, posing straight and rigid as if she had served in a high military position prior to her current office position. But of course, that was impossible, because she was a woman and women were not meant to lead. 

"What was that about?" 

"They're from Tokyo. Hiiro and Duo are there now." 

"Searching for a bunch of miniskirt-suited girls who fight evil with magic. It's ridiculous." 

"There's a connection, Wufei. I just can't figure it out yet." 

Wufei grumbled under his breath, "When you figure it out, let me know. I'm sick of this paperwork." He gave the 2-D nuisances one final glare before they left the room to prepare for the trip to L2. 

----- 

"You're late." 

She slowed as she approached him. Usagi grinned at him sheepishly and ducked her flushed face from his watchful stare. Hiiro looked very cool, standing there with his hands lodged comfortably in his jacket. He wore the same black jacket she had met him in, and she couldn't help but marvel at the way the dark brown hair at the nape of his neck seemed to melt into the jet collar. His eyes caught hers and she smiled weakly. "Sorry, it's a bad habit," she answered cheerily before pulling out a brown paper bag from insde her long winter coat. "Ta-da!" 

He frowned suspiciously. "What's that?" 

"Bread crumbs!" she chirped and bounced toward him, all smiles and very unlike the girl he had often seen her shift to. He trailed closely behind. 

The day was still caught in the throes of a wet winter, but there were so many people, it was stifling. A toddler, no more than five-years old, bisected the path he was following. Hiiro tried to step around him but the little boy latched on to his right leg and started to bawl. 

His fists clenched impatiently in his pockets as he gave his leg a little shake. "Get off." 

The child turned big, bleary lilac eyes at him, opened his mouth, and wailed. 

Hiiro was suddenly at a loss. "Get off," he said again, more sensitively than the first time. The kid didn't budge. 

Usagi turned around, disconcerted to find that she had been talking to herself for a little more than half the way. Hiiro was still near the entrance with a child clinging to his leg. She blinked incredulously and retraced her steps. 

"Hiiro-san?" 

"He won't get off." 

Usagi grinned—he acted as if he had never seen a child before. She leaned down to the boy's height. "What's wrong?" 

He sniffled, wiping his nose on Hiiro's pants. "I got booboo." He pointed to his scraped elbow as his eyes watered again. 

Usagi gave Hiiro a furtive glance and it took all her willpower to keep from exploding from laughter. He looked so uncomfortable in his rigid and demanding-looking posture, perplexed scowl on his face. Her lips spread into a restrained smile as she turned to the child. "If you keep crying, you won't be able to play," she said softly as she applied it carefully to his wound. She gave him a gentle pat on the soft mop of pale blonde hair once she was done. "Are you lost? I'll help you find your mommy if you want." 

He dug the heels of his palms furiously into his eyes, rubbing dry his tears. "Thank you, _'__nee-san_,"* he answered shyly as he took her offered hand. 

----- 

Minako's head was about to implode. Or was it explode? She forgot which one was messier. 

She stalked around, jerking up clothes with posture poor enough to make any admirer wince in shame. Chucking a full shopping bag across the room, she managed to trip over a wire which connected to an expensive-looking crystal table lamp. . .which was now an expensive-looking broken crystal table lamp. She bemoaned the disaster zone that had once been her four-star hotel room. 

Apparently, her agent had screwed up a valuable appointment with one of the most acclaimed and thus incredibly anal photographers in the universe. She was supposed to be at the shoot about—she checked the fancy digital clock on the nightstand—half an hour ago. 

Minako sank wearily into the plush leather footrest as she attempted to zip up her jeans. Unfortunately, the zipper didn't feel like cooperating with her and decided to get caught in her underwear. 

She shot her favorite pair of pants a black look, and at the same time, mourned the loss of a dear friend in her beloved panties. 

As she rummaged through her luggage for another set of clothes, she prayed that she would be able to win over the photographer with her expert pearly-white smile. 

----- 

Usagi grinned and grabbed Hiiro's hand, not noticing how much he had stiffened at her impulsive touch. 

He let her drag him through the park. He watched her the entire way, chattering about silly things to the little boy, about her favorite kind of cake and candy, giggling when the toddler rewarded her with laughter and smiles. Over her head, he caught the boy staring inquisitively at him. 

"Are you lost, too?" 

----- 

It wasn't Relena's ideal position to be enclosed in a human fence, but this was what she had to deal with until they found the source of the 'plague.' Her personal arena didn't look too happy about the arrangement either. Twice already, she had seen the consequences of Wufei's frustration of the fruitless traces, utilizing the anger into intense sparring against Petz. Petz, however, was also a skilled fighter and was not one to take loss easily. 

They made a frightening team, although she found Petz to be much more ruthless than Wufei. She was a cold and serious woman, but kind, and maybe even a little somber once she slipped out of her shell. From what Relena had gathered, her lover her died long ago fighting for what was right but wrong at the same time. 

It was complicated, and Relena, knowing the feeling, had consoled Petz and left it at that. 

They strode together in perfect unison into the elevator. Calaveras had requested an entire floor to be rented out. All other personnel were to be prohibited from entering that floor for Relena's protection. 

The ride up was eerily quiet. Relena hadn't realized she had been holding her breath until the floor of their destination arrived with a clean ring. The air escaped her mouth almost desperately. 

"This is the eighteenth floor. We're supposed to be on the nineteeth, Wufei." 

"I pressed the nineteenth floor." 

Relena frowned in alarm. "I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding—" She paused when down the hall, a door opened with the faintest clicks and then closed again. The air began to hum violently with unbridled tension. She felt Wufei's arm shift subtly towards his katana on her right. Trowa stretched his hand for his gun on her left. A man with a slightly unshaven jaw had stepped out of the room and glanced at them briefly before he turned the other way. The tension dissipated as soon as it had come. 

"Thank God," Cooan breathed quietly from behind. "Let's get off this floor." 

Wufei punched the button labeled '19' and waited for the doors to close. When they didn't, he pressed the close button repeatedly. 

"Well?" Petz inquired scathingly from the front, not bothering to turn her head. 

"The buttons aren't working," he replied through gritted teeth. 

Petz glared at him, mouth thinning into a frown. "Let me see—" 

Calaveras nudged her in the ribs. "He's back." 

Relena watched forward quietly. The nondescript man wandered back from wherever he had gone to and stood across from his door, fumbling for the card key. His unsteady hand extended, slim white card gripped loosely. But just as he was about to slip it into the door, he turned his head and looked straight at them. 

The air hazed and melted before Relena's blue-grey eyes. The hallway distorted as a busy street would on a sweltering hot day. The fair hair on her slender arms stood on end. Someone cursed; she didn't know who and she didn't care. Arms pulled her further back into the elevator—Cooan and Beruche. Petz and Calaveras stepped forward, Wufei and Trowa fanning out beside them. 

Another door clicked softly across the hall. A maid, carrying a basket of dirty towels, walked obviously into the front line and into the quivering mist. The menacing current of air took ahold of the maid sooner than it did the man. 

The wicker basket fell to the floor with a bleak thud. 

----- 

After the dust had cleared, he had managed to overcome the paralysis that had constricted him. Sore, as if watching the apartment complex explode and crumble from one miscalculated mistake had physically injured him, he stumbled across hot grey-white ash. The tiny yellow puppy lay curled in a fetal position on its side; it was the position in which all life began. His hands reached out reverently and the ash-snow melted at his touch. 

The puppy was still warm. 

----- 

The troublesome racket outside Minako's room was more than exasperating. She swung the door open, ready to give the pests a piece of her mind when the steel blade of a sword embedded itself securely into the wood of the door next to her head. Her mouth dropped open as she stared at it in shock, eyes widening when a man rushed past her, dislodging the weapon. He gave her a disparaging look with narrowed onyx eyes before he flew down the hall. 

Her attention was suddenly focused on the woman who ran past her ajar door to aid the man who was entrenched in a battle with a civilian. Minako gaped at the woman with hair the color of blue frost in disbelief. To the right of the hallway was Relena Darlian backed up against the elevator wall, two more familiar woman surrounding her in circle of protection. 

The hallway wasn't narrow, but it wasn't fit for a battle, either. Minako stared at the frenzied fighting almost blankly before training she hadn't used for the better of two years jolted her back into her room. 

She fumbled for the communicator she had left on the nightstand, suddenly very relieved that they had agreed to keep it at hand just in case. She pressed the first button. 

Rei's provoked countenance buzzed onto the screen. "Minako, what did I tell you about—" 

"We have a situation." 

Violet eyes narrowed into sharp glints. "What do you mean?" 

Minako spared a glance at the battle only a few meters to her left. The Asian one was holding back a man with the butt of his katana, Beruche at his side. The other brunette was fending off a maid. Cooan and Calaveras were leading Relena away from the scene. 

Two doors across from hers opened almost simultaneously, two inquisitive and equally concerned heads peered out. Minako opened her mouth to urge them back into their rooms, but the atmosphere wavered; the image before her looked as it would reflected in a melting mirror. The change in the older of the two men was immediate. His expression fizzled into a cold and hateful temperament, one that she was too comfortable with. He reached across the wall that divided his room from the one he lived next to and touched that confused resident. The second man fell to the ground. 

Minako took a breath. "Relena Darlian is being attacked by a bunch of civilians," she whispered, squeezing her transformation pen as a comfort device. The muted light that had passed from the unconscious gentleman on the floor to the one who was now fighting against Beruche was life energy, she was sure of it. She slid into a crouch, muscles tense and taut with anticipation. 

"The Queen of the World?" 

She nodded affirmative. "They look possessed." 

"I haven't felt any dark energy," Rei responded pensively. 

Her lucid blue eyes flickered with worry. "I have to do something." 

The priestess' face suddenly zoomed in extra close so that all Minako could see were two threatening violet orbs. She smiled grimly. 

"Don't you dare get involved with this. Not now and not in this form!" 

"Don't worry about me, Rei-chan. We were trained for this." 

"Minako!" 

"Let the others know. Over and out." She snapped the communicator shut, cutting off the rest of Rei's burgeoning protests, and selflessly jumped head first into the mess. 

----- 

"I've been lost all my life." 

----- 

The wall rattled precariously as Beruche slammed brutally against it. She winced, holding one hand to her bruised chest. Her lower ribs screamed in bloody protest. The middle-aged male she had been battling came at her again, forcing her to roll into a duck. It was times like these that she wished she had her old powers back, she thought with a nostalgic smirk. 

Beruche held herself up, though her movements were slowing. She doubted she would be able to evade the next blow. She braced herself as the raised his arm, ice blue eyes open. 

There was a sudden flash of yellow hair, and the greying brunette stumbled backwards. 

She stared incredulously at her savior. "Minako-chan?" 

The blonde grinned toothily and raised her slim fingers in a victory sign. "I never expected to see you here, Beruche-san!" 

"Long story—behind you!" 

Minako ducked in perfect time, allowing Beruche to deliver a disabling blow. The victim dropped to the floor like an old, discarded doll. 

He hadn't lasted long in the fight—ten minutes at the most. She had figured out a pattern among the victims of the plague. The older ones were easily struck down once past a certain amount of time whereas the younger victims were able to continue in their frenzy for a little over half an hour. 

It was useful data, although it wasn't the strangest. After restraining the victims are interrogating them thoroughly, they had found incredible evidence of psychological or sociological discomfort. Most had relationship troubles and deepseated insecurities that were not to be so easily dissuaded. Some had experienced nervous breakdowns at least once in their lives, a handful had been chronically depressed, and one had even been antisocial. The results had troubled all those involved, but it had troubled her and her sisters the most. 

Beruche caught the probing gaze of her former enemy and smiled wearily. "I'll explain it once we get Miss Relena to safety." 

----- 

He smiled sweetly in all his childish innocence. "Usagi-_nee-san_ will take you home." 

Hiiro didn't answer, opting to test Usagi's expression. She looked almost puzzled between the two of them. 

He soon found himself relaxing as she trudged them deeper into the park. 

----- 

They were finally on the nineteenth floor, deserted of anyone else except Relena's personal security and herself. Cooan and company were checking up on Relena's welfare, leaving her alone with the two men. But to her vexation, the one Beruche had introduced as Wufei continued to glare suspiciously at her, even after all the help she had magnanimously pitched in. Missing her photoshoot had already put a damper on her mood. Minako schooled her face and pretended not to be offended. 

"You speak English." 

Minako bestowed Trowa a bemused smile. It seemed like a lot of people had been commenting on her language abilities recently. "Yes. I was born in England and lived there for the first thirteen years of my life." 

Trowa stared at Wufei with his evocative jade eyes. Wufei begrudgingly acknowledged the silent undertone. 

"And you're from Japan," the unnecessarily peeved male with the coal-black hair stated. 

"Yes. . ." 

"And you know those women." 

"Yes. . ." 

"How do you know them?" 

Minako blinked, a slow conspiratorial smile pulling at her mouth. She leaned forward and whispered, "So which one of them do you like?" 

Wufei jerked back and glared in utter confusion. "What?" 

"You like one of them, that's why you're asking me all these questions about them, right? If you're too scared to ask, I could set you up." 

It took a while for her words to sink in, and when they did: "I am NOT scared!" 

Trowa gave him the strangest look. 

"Okay, okay." Minako grinned innocently, spreading her hands in defense. "We met through some friends." There wasn't even an uncertain or guilty flicker to her eyes as the lie rolled off her tongue. 

The door to Relena's suite opened. Cooan appeared, looking unusually serious. "Miss Relena would like to speak to Minako alone." 

Wufei stalked forward. "Why?" 

Cooan tossed her deep violet hair over her shoulder, sneering haughtily at the brutish male. She despised men with no manners. "She wants to know where Minako got her shoes." 

"What kind of a—" spluttered Wufei. 

"Come on, Minako," Cooan interjected smoothly, leading the blonde into Relena's suite. She cast a dirty look at the Preventer and slammed the door insolently in his fuming face. 

----- 

"Bye _'__nee-san_, bye _'__nii-san_!"** 

Usagi waved to the toddler, now in the safety of the arms of his mother. "Ne, Hiiro-san," she suddenly said quietly, "you don't mind feeding ducks, do you?" She rocked on her heels a little uncertainly. 

"No. I've never done it before." 

She looked positively shocked, mouth even dropping open a little. "You've never fed ducks before?" 

He glared at the ground. "No." 

Her smile was sympathetic; Mamoru had never fed the ducks before he had met her, either. "Don't worry. It's really easy." She squatted by the pond's edge and beckoned with a gentle wave of her hand for him to do the same. He followed reluctantly. The crowd of ducks nearest to him flitted off into further waters. 

"They always do that, Hiiro-san." Usagi scooped her hand inside the sack. "Here, hold out your hand." 

He did as she told and received a generous amount of bread crumbs. 

"Now, just scatter some at them," she instructed. The paper bag crinkled as she reached her hand in. 

He threw the entire handful.

Usagi smiled tolerantly and handed Hiiro some more. He was a little rough around the edges, but he had the idea down, she mused. "Once they get more familiar with you, they'll actually eat from your hand." 

Hiiro extended his hand and decided this really wasn't too bad. There were other more efficient things he would rather be doing, but feeding ducks was kind of—dare he think it—fun. And the funny looking animals seemed to really like him. Not that he actually cared. 

"They must really like you, Hiiro-san!" she giggled unabashedly as the ducks swarmed towards him in an effervescent green-brown tide. They were really beginning to crowd him. She took a step to the side to let a baby mallard take her place. 

His hand was empty already, but he was still unconditionally surrounded by them. Hiiro grabbed the forgotten bag and tried to throw the bread crumbs further and further away. It worked for a second before they all came waddling back towards him, quacking expectantly. He glared at them; their quacking only grew more and more insistent. People were beginning to stare. He looked up at Usagi for help. 

Her fair face was turned upwards to the grey sky, slack and sweet as if she were drinking in the very light the clouds were so adamant in hiding. Her eyes were closed, dark lashes curled against her rosy cheeks. 

But her hair was what caught his attention the most. No one had a hairstyle quite like hers, though he was confident he had seen it one other time. Again, the more he tried to remember, the less he remembered. He shook his head once, willing the oncoming headache to retreat, and in that quick movement, he was given a wide view of the entire park. 

His messy thoughts became a lingering shadow as the most unusual sight distracted him—a disheveled woman in a torn sundress was running towards them, but that was no less stranger than what was occurring around her. Everyone she touched along the way collapsed as if they had the very vigor sucked out from them, and with each person, she gained greater speed. 

She was headed straight towards Usagi, he dimly realized. He grabbed her hand, flinging breadcrumbs everywhere and startling the tranquil blanket of ducks. They flew upwards and outwards, iridescent browns and greens shielding them as they ran. 

"Hiiro-san?" Usagi yelped breathlessly as she fought to keep up with his pace. She stood in a blank stupor as they stopped abruptly behind a copse of trees. 

"Over there," he growled, pulling her down into a squat with him. 

Usagi frowned and peeked out from behind the trunk. A woman, brunette and as pale as a ghost less than ten yards away, was headed towards them at an almost inhuman speed. "What. . ." The words died on her lips as she watched Hiiro reach into his coat and retrieve a gun. The length of his arm extended and she could only scream in panic, "Don't shoot her!" as she knocked his arm down. The magazine fell to the grass. She grabbed it, ran out into the open, and tossed it into the brush. 

"Usagi!" he barked as he made a swipe for her and missed, barely able to comprehend what had just happened. A girl who scarcely reached his shoulders had disarmed him with one movement. He was suddenly tempted to either congratulate her or leave her out there to die. 

The deranged woman paused about three meters away from the blonde with a smile cruel enough to concern him. She turned to him as if sensing his thoughts, murderous interest shifting from Usagi, and all he could see was the growing insanity in her pale blue eyes. 

They were Quatre's eyes, he remembered, as the Zero system had taken over his mind and body. They were power-hungry and fatal. 

It was bloodlust. 

----- 

Chapter 1 (?_?) of the "preview." 

"Ah, so our sleeping beauty awakes." 

The voice was deep and grainy. The speaker was old, laryx worn. His vision focused and unfocused on the immaculate tile ceiling above him. A grey-white haze entered his periphery—hair, then a face from which he could only assume were two eyes peered at him through the pair of glaring thick goggles. He blinked his sensitive eyes and twisted his head to the side. 

It hurt. 

"How strange," another voice mused, quieter, gentler, and younger than the first. A woman's voice. "There were no changes in any of his physiological functions as he woke up." 

"Oh ho! So he can control his pulse and brain waves. How long have you been awake, boy?" 

His mouth opened and the sound was gravel on his thick tongue. "Where am I?" 

The old man in the white labcoat smiled. It was nothing but a curved crevasse in his heavily sagging face. "The proper question is when, and it is now After Colony 275. You were put to sleep, so to speak, by cryogenic technology. How does it feel to live through an entire century?" 

He wasn't sure if he was surprised, or if he was happy. He couldn't remember how it was to feel. He couldn't remember anything. 

"My name," he whispered. The old man gave him a puzzled look and exchanged a glance with the woman over his head. 

"You don't know it?" 

"What is it?" 

"Do you remember anything?" 

"What is my name?" 

There was a buzzing silence, the sound of voracious flies, before the old man spoke again. 

"Hiiro Yui. Your name is Hiiro Yui." 

"Hiiro Yui," he repeated to himself, engraving it desperately to his blank and thirsty mind. "What else?" 

"You're twenty-four years old." He paused. "You don't remember anything?" 

"No," Hiiro answered coldly and mechanically repeated, "What else?" 

"Sally, would you mind refreshing Mr. Yui's memory?" 

The woman entered his view, an indulgent and curious smile in her china blue eyes. She was mixed, Asian, unquestionably, and somehow he knew he was also Asian. 

"You're lucky you're alive, Mr. Yui. There was an assassination attempt on your life in AC 175. You sustained critical injuries as the bullet did go through your stomach. Technology was not as advanced back then as it is now, so you were frozen in hopes of reviving and repairing your wounds when the field of medicine has progressed to where it is now." 

"Why?" 

Sally raised an eyebrow. "Why what?" 

"Why did someone try to kill me?" 

"You were a revolutionary pacifist leader of the colonies. People were bound to disagree with you," she responded with a fascinated expression, then turned to her mentor. "I'm thinking this retrograde amnesia has affected his personality as well, wouldn't you say, Doctor J?" 

"Yes, I do believe so," he answered thoughtfully, touching his chin with a cybernetic hand that Hiiro had only just noticed. "The charisma, I still see, but something is missing. Psychological stress or brain damage; which do you speculate on, Sally?" 

Amused, she smirked. "I doubt brain damage, Doctor, but psychological stress is not unlikely. He has been in a deep sleep for a very long time. It's not uncommon to be disoriented and hostile when initially regaining consciousness." She turned one of the many monitors her way and checked the sinusoidal patterns on the screen. "Vital statistics are good, and you might not want to do that just yet, Mr. Yui. Your muscles are still cold and tender." 

Hiiro dropped back into the crib, stinging pain arching up and down his back and shoulders without mercy. There was little he could do except lie and listen and think on empty facts and faces that had no real meaning. "What else?" he finally said at length, staring icily at ceiling. 

Sally fell quiet and cast a tentative glance towards Doctor J. He nodded curtly in response. Her reluctance strummed through the air. "You had a wife and two children." 

He didn't seem to hear at first, she noticed, resting still and calm, until the sensitive machinery began to beep twice as fast as before and the rises in the pixel graphs began to spike substantially up and down on the monitors. Sally rushed to the main controls to steady the system, keeping one eye on Hiiro. 

Doctor J watched on as recognition—frenetic and chaotic—invaded Hiiro's detached appearance. Nostalgia sharpened and widened the black-blue of his eyes, shallowed his breathing to rapid squanderings of air. His mouth opened, and a name tumbled out. 

"Usagi." 

*'nee-san (onee-san): older sister **'nii-san (onii-san): older brother 

_AN: Sorry x_x! This chapter sucks. I actually had this chapter written out, then I decided to change it, and now it's even suckier than the original. O_o It's long, I think, to make up for the two weeks I haven't really been around. ^^;; _

_[BTW] FF.net won't let me put up links -.- so I can't show you guys the picture of the G-boys photoshopped into the Sailor Senshi. Rofl, it's in my page link in my bio. Click that and on the top journal entry, the link is listed there._

_I have a question about Quatre's business O.o;; Winner Corporation or whatever it's called. . . so like, he handles satellites?_? Resource satellites?_! Natural resource satellites?!_? Lol, what exactly are natural resource satellites? _ What do they do exactly? O.o Are they just like storage places for resources or are they something else? X.x I feel like such a dumbnut on GW. O_o A fake dumbnut. XD My info on GW is limited to like the first 30 episodes and EW. x_x I'm afraid I'm going to have to do some altering to the GW world if I'm not too sure about stuff. . Any help is appreciated, though! ^^;; _

_For those of you who don't know who Petz (Prizma), Beruche (Birdie), Calaveras (Avery), and Cooan (Catsy) are, they are the Ayakashi sisters from the Black Moon Arc. ;D They never died, so I thought it would be fun to bring them in. *kekeke's* ^^; Um, I dunno what exactly they have to do with. . .stuff. . .but I'll figure something out, lol. X.x_

**CJ-Chan**: I know what you mean. ^^;; I don't really get why some (many o.O) people don't like Relena, either. I admired her at some points, but overall she isn't a favorite character of mine, although I don't dislike her. I've bashed her once XD but it was nothing personal. It was just more humor in a humor fic for me. Thanks for reviewing ;D I never have much to say either ^^;;

**Kolinshar Benito**: FINDING NEMO! I love that movie!! . . .Except for the part where this old guy next to me kept touching my bare leg (I was wearing shorts -.-). *vomits* Lol, anyways, SUGAR DOES INSPIRE! That should be a motto or something!! The least sane stuff are the coolest. . .like FuriKuri!! It makes no sense to me whatsoever, but it's so funny and cool and WEIRD. O.o; Hairy thumbs? *shaves them* . ^^

**Delphine Pryde**: Lol, thanks XD

**the Desert Fox**: English/Hnnese dictionary, rofl! Maybe I'll make a new story involving that. . .ohhh ideas, ideas. :D OH, I see! I saw EW, but dubbed, and honestly, I don't remember much that happened. I remember Hiiro socking Duo into unconsciousness. Poor Duo. T_T What's Battlefield of the Pacifists? o.o Sounds like an oxymoron. ^_^

**Sailor Grape**: Hehe! I love Duo so much. XD I couldn't just let him stand around ignorantly and do nothing. *.* I'm not quite sure how I'm going to work around the language barrier, yet. x_X It seemed like a good idea at the time(). *smiles weakly* Quatre will show up, I promise! I don't know when, though. XD As you can see, I put up a question out of desperation for Quatre's occupation. x_x I just need to know more about him, then I'll know what to do. Mwahahaha!

**Crystalstorm21**: Thanks! ^_^ I'm glad people will still be sticking around!

**Liquid Ice**: Yah, yah! I had the hots for him, too, lol. It was fun for a while XD and once in a while, I still do like to read those kinds of fics. . . No one heard me say that. HAHA, I understand. . .sorta. *blinks and rereads it* She's actually not quite over Mamoru yet XD and she doesn't realize that Hiiro is better than Mamoru (HOW COULD SHE NOT?! o_O! He's sooo hot :DDD). I don't want to give too much away, but Usagi is definitely seeing, or -wanting- to see Mamoru in Hiiro. o_O *zips her lips* Waahh~ You give such deep reviews, I'm not sure how to respond to them!! Hiiro reminds Usagi of Mamoru, but who does Usagi remind Hiiro of? Two people, actually. :D One, Sailor Moon, but because of some mystical barrier-type thingies, he gets a headache. Mwahahaha ;D And two. . .you'll have to find out when I develop their relationship more, which includes what exactly happened to Mamoru. *cackles* Oh wait, you got the second guess! Ack, I was just too slow to read it. XD Lol, again, really good guesses!! Wai, I'm jealous. ^^ KILL BILL WAS SO AWESOME! Haha, reminded me somewhat of this Japanese movie called "Battle Royale." It was very gory. ^^ Ahh, gomen, I'm pretty drained right now so I don't have as much to say. x_x But keep those lovely reviews coming! ^^

**¤°°º°º°°¤|çé ß|úé Éyé§¤°°º°º°°¤**: Heheh()!! I know, I know, it was a little weird for Usagi to ask Hiiro, but Usagi is daring once in a while! Like. . .under extreme or stressful circumstances, she goes a little crazy, I think. XD Their date got cut kindda short, ne x_x and the rest of their "date" will come with the next chapter. . .but who knows when I'll be able to get that out. I didn't think school would take so much out of me, but it really is. *sighs* Hehe, Wu-chan and Tro-chan are gonna meet Rei later. ^^ $67 dollars . . . *drools* I wish I had money! I barely have enough to buy food every week. X_X Have fun at the fair! I went to one once. . . it was awesome, except for the overpriced churros. They're good, but expensive-o!

**themoonmaiden**: X_X!! I hate it when that happens. Especially when I write nice long reviews ;_; But it's okay! I understand about the work thing. . .though it's more like school for me. x_x I feel like going pfft myself sometimes. I had three midterms last week. . .it was not pretty. But enough about lil egotistical me xD I remember that episode!! It was hilarious; Minako wa cho kakkoi! ^__^ Omg, Mulder!! I loved Mulder. I used to watch X-Files religiously. . .okay getting off track XD Aww, I didn't think about Duo and Minako coming together to conspire against Hiiro and Usagi!! Why didn't I think of that?! I must be getting old. . .^^;; HAHA, I'm not sure if I portrayed him correctly in feeding ducks. I felt like a moron writing that, rofl, though I did have fun writing about that segment with him and puppy. o_O OHH, I remember that episode, too!! :D!!! I'm so happy to be able to share episodes with people!! ^__^ Yah, yah, she was smiling as she wrote it, even though she was so sad and she didn't anyone to worry about her. *nods nods* Anou, tmm-chan, when are you going to update your stories, btw? ^^()

**kimeno-pebols**: Oh, don't worry about it! I understand about the finals thing. I had midterms last week and I had like 9 hours of asleep across three days. Only coffee, lots and lots of coffee, had the power to keep me awake. O_O

**Midnight of Shadows**: A PUPPY!! We have a puppy, but I doubt our puppy is as cute as your puppy. What kind of puppy is it? Aww, it sounds so cute even though I don't know what it looks like! YAYYY, now you can finally update and I won't be all desperate and needy-ish for new chapters of good stories! :D Lol, I love that line. :D I honestly don't know how I came up with it, because I learned that last year and last year's information should no longer reside in my head, but it did. Now, now, *coughs* when exactly are you going to update? ^_^;;

**Krista Hopes**: Wowow, thank you! ^^;; *embarrassed laugh*


	8. I am hurting, I have lost it all

_Warning: Swearing. I upped the rating a little because of it. Uh, I also didn't really read this over, so pardon my mistakes._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing._

**And You Don't Seem to Understand**

Chapter 7

It had hurt only initially, like the shadow had promised. The pain went away as soon as it received full control of her body. And as it had promised, the pain of her infinite grief had went away as well. 

Her memories were still there and she could still think, though she could no longer command her own body to move. It belonged to the shadow now, which was fine, because she could no longer dwell upon how much she missed her dead daughter and how much she hated the ones who had taken her away. 

"Let me show you a world where there will be no more pain. Let me help you find your vengeance. The end is coming; let's ease its arrival," it had said. 

The voice had caressed her ear, sinful and sweet. She had sighed with a longing that ached. "I want an end, I want vengeance," she had whispered back. 

"Let's end it together." 

She had stretched out her hand and welcomed it. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Rei had half a mind to smash her fire-engine red communicator against the innocent shrine wall. After an entire ten minutes of futile attempts to contact Minako, the watch continued to give the annoying busy signal. She frowned slightly, finger uncertainly hovering over Mercury's and Jupiter's signs. A meeting was in order, but both Ami and Makoto were in cram school, and would not be free until later that night. 

The tiny crescent moon symbol on the face of the communicator caught Rei's attention. She had no idea what Usagi was up to—the girl had been rather ambiguous about her plans this weekend. 

The watch-like contraption emitted a soft beep as her finger met the smooth button. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Usagi jumped at the distracting buzzing coming from her wrist. She gave it a puzzled glance; Rei was calling her? Had she known this was going to happen? Her eyes widened with the suggestion—Rei would know what to do. With that initiative in mind, she raised her eyes just in time to see the woman head straight towards Hiiro. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Even with his proficient reflexes, he didn't think he would be given the chance to avoid the first strike. Usagi with the beeping watch out in the perilous open had diverted his attention. The most he could do now was attempt to block the blow and calculate how he was to gain the offensive. 

But something knocked into him from the side, sending him skidding into the grass and scrambling all his thoughts. He found himself on the ground, staring at Usagi through the warm golden veil of her hair. She wasn't looking at him, but rather staring at the possessed woman. 

"What are you doing?" he whispered harshly, startling the girl out of her contemplation. She was reckless and would end up getting them both killed. 

Usagi shook her head, eyes never leaving the woman. "She's too strong. You should get to safety, Hiiro-san," she urged gently as she stood. "I have to get her away from these people." 

Hiiro glanced at the enemy. The sadistic expression had never left, but she was utterly enraptured with Usagi. Her eyes were locked on the blonde, as if she would lose her waning life if she looked away. 

"Who are you?" Usagi implored quietly. A black awareness raked up her spine to the very base of her head and she couldn't keep from shuddering violently at the repulsive sensation. 

The woman bowed her head in a mock curtsy. "I was born of your love, Princess." 

She felt her vision swim as the tingling scraped viciously at her vulnerable state of mind. She hadn't heard the title in nearly two years, but now, a woman who she had never known existed mocked vindictively at her name and all she had gained and lost with it. Her lips trembled as she attempted to form the question again, tears springing unbidden to her eyes. 

"Who are you!" 

The word 'princess' thundered in Hiiro's head as one of his hands clamped firmly on her wrist, incidentally, the one with the irritating watch. "What do you think—" 

A short beep cut off his demand, then a clear, recognizable voice bellowed out of the device: "FINALLY, Usagi, where have you been?" 

Her tears stretched into a thin glittering sheen with the expanding of her eyes, mouth forming a small 'o' of surprise. Usagi jerked her hand out of Hiiro's hold and pressed all the buttons randomly and at once to shut it off and to curb his growing suspicion. 

"I—stay here!" The words tumbled out of her mouth without thinking. He couldn't have added a word in edgewise as she took off sprinting out of the park with the woman following almost dutifully behind. 

Hiiro, with his teeth tightly gritted together, retrieved his gun, and gave chase. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

"Haruka-papa." 

"Hm?" 

"Isn't that Usagi-san?" 

Slightly preoccupied, Haruka followed the line of Hotaru's arm to see the little blonde dash across the street as if hell was opening up the ground at her very heels. Haruka's heart nearly leapt out of her chest when Usagi was a mere fraction of a second away from turning into roadkill. The oncoming truck screeched to an ear-piercing stop, allowing the girl—and another woman—to safely pass. 

Something unsettling stirred in Haruka's stomach. "Let's go see what she's up to." 

Hotaru's footsteps quickened as she caught up to the taller woman at the busy street corner. People crowded around them, ubiquitously waiting for the light to turn green. She frowned slightly, the image of the woman who had been following Usagi still bright in her mind's eye. The woman scared her, and she hadn't the faintest idea why. 

The light jumped to green, and she was suddenly pushed aside as the tide of humans swept across the street. Hotaru stumbled into the arms of her surrogate father, managing to catch the profile of the man who had thrust her out-of-the-way. 

"Watch where you're going," the blonde growled heatedly as she straightened the younger girl, growing increasingly disgruntled when the youth blatantly refused to acknowledge her. He promptly vanished into the crowd. "Are you okay, Hotaru-chan?" 

Hotaru nodded thoughtfully as they crossed the street. "We all fall down." 

Haruka's light blue eyes slanted down sharply. Her 'daughter' had said the line accompanied with an all too familiar tune. "What?" 

"'Ring Around the Rosie.' It's an American nursery rhyme. We learned it in school the other day because it has an allegory to a plague in the fourteenth century." 

"But why did you say it?" 

She shrugged. "I don't know. Michiru-mama's new song has a variation of it." 

Realization dawned sluggishly. "It was in the beginning." 

"The very beginning," Hotaru nodded casually, "we all fall down." 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Lub-dub. Lub-dub. 

Supposedly, that was what a real heartbeat sounded like, when one valve closes and another opens. She had found it hilarious when her biology teacher had mimicked the noise, but now as she ran, the more she listened to the ever-growing volume of the beat of her heart, the more it sounded like 'lub-dub.' 

Running was all she could do now. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

"Rei-chan!" 

The priestess, still clutching the communicator, hurried out of the worship room and toward the panicked voice of her best friend. 

"Rei-chan, help me!" 

Rei stared incredulously as Usagi waved her hands wildly as she shot up the steps. "Usagi, what are you—" 

The blonde shrieked unexpectedly and vanished from sight. Heart lurching in her chest, Rei flew down the concrete staircase, wooden sandals clacking loudly with each descending step. Usagi was sprawled across the intersection where one slanted line stairs ceased and the next flight jagged outwards. She had rolled far from the edge, bruised and scraped, but conscious. 

Usagi groaned softly as she turned over. The palms of her hands stung as they scraped against the unforgiving concrete. Stars swam before her eyes once she blinked them open. The taste of blood was distinct in her mouth. 

She raised her heavy head, vision doubling as Rei approached her. Behind Rei, was the anonymous woman. "Rei-chan, watch out!" 

The priestess spun around, hands crossed in a defensive position, but the power behind the blow was too great. She careened backwards. The woman struck again before Rei could gain her footing. 

Her right temple knocked painfully against the ground, will draining out of her as her body stilled into immobilization. Before her eyes closed, she saw the strange woman standing tall and sinisterly over the rumpled blonde. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Usagi crawled across the floor, lungs shuddering as she sucked in her cry, but as soon as it filled her mouth, it was expelled forcefully out. The woman she had carelessly neglected, had kicked her in the side. She rolled limply over, arms hugging her searing lower torso. 

The most excruciating pain shot like electricity after the initial report of the popped bone. The sharp, wet sound reverberated through her entire body, and continued to echo in her sensitive ears even now. 

The woman had broken her rib. 

She wanted to cry—the want was almost more painful than her broken rib, but the tears stayed trapped behind her wide, reflective eyes. The brunette loomed above her—then closer, closer, until Usagi could feel her hot breath against her pale, cold cheeks. Hands slid around her neck, slow, almost in a lover's caress, and squeezed. The wide, pretty mouth opened into a curved, gaping hole. 

"Give me your body." 

"No." The word bled out of Usagi's mouth. 

The knuckles in slim fingers contracted into fragile flesh. "Give me your body." 

Usagi's pink lips formed the word again, but no breath discharged it from her tongue. She stared into those pale blue eyes, willing any sort of sense or awareness into them. Within the clear reflection of herself, they remained cold and numb. 

There was very little air she could obtain, and every time she made an attempt at a deeper intake, the fractured rib bit further into her body. Her eyelids drooped heavily over her vision, impairing what little there was left of it. The sky blurred into one thick cloud of dirty white. The tiny spots of black became cavernous and devouring. 

The sound of her heartbeat filled her mind, lulling her. Lub-dub. 

Lub-dub. 

"Give me your body—" 

Lub-dub. 

"—Or I will take it." 

- - - - - - - - - - 

It was the crumpled body shrouded in glossy black hair that attracted his attention first. The recognition of Usagi's destination was second. It was the Hikawa Jinja, one of the most common areas for the strange occurrences that delighted in making the greater Tokyo area a living hell for city planners and construction workers alike. 

Hiiro took up the flight of stairs two, three steps at a time. The body was easily identifable as Hino Rei, the priestess he and Duo had investigated, who had immediately became a figure of suspicion. She had received a shallow laceration across her right temple, but her strong vital statistics settled any uneasiness. The least he needed right now was a civilian fatality. 

Her eyes opened suddenly, the purple of irises so dark that they were almost black. Her hands convulsed around his wrist. "Usagi," she whispered hoarsely as she tried to raise herself to her feet and failing pitifully, "help her." 

There was a connection between the two girls that he dimly realized as he raced up the stairs. He put it aside for later exploration, mind prioritizing the events robotically. Without thinking, he slid his gun from the back of his pants as he reached the scene. 

There was no time to assess the situation. There were two choices: kill the woman or let the woman kill Usagi. 

His thumb edged forward, pulling back the hammer of his gun. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Something hot began to fill her heart, puncturing the life-sustaining muscle like a syringe filled with boiling blackness. Her resistance waned; she, heavy-limbed and languid, felt the world slow around her. The first beat of her heart stretched on and on and on--for minutes it seemed--and she waited patiently for the second, final note. It came unexpectedly as a faint mechanical clicking. 

Her eyes expanded, pupils dilating when the light of the physical world became as easily perceivable as it once was. The woman had never once loosed her grip on her neck, leaving it sore and tender. She didn't care; behind her, Hiiro was aiming for the woman, both innocent and malevolent at the same time. 

Could she let him kill the woman, a human woman who had no control of her body? 

She used the time needed to answer her question to answer her question. Drawing all the strength she had left in her body, she flipped her away the instant his gun went off. 

Usagi curled to her side and swallowed back her scream. 

The bullet had pierced her upper arm. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

The speed of light is faster than the speed of sound. That is why people notice the smoking of a gun before they hear the shot. 

This was not the case for Haruka. The ring of the gunshot had startled both she and Hotaru into a dead run up the few remaining steps of their goal. She saw the steel of the gun next, and the information regarding the target was processed last. 

The fucking bastard had shot Usagi. 

She was on him before Hotaru had gone out of her state of shock. Haruka made sure the first blow took the weapon out of the picture, and the second took him to hell. The latter didn't follow with the plan. In the space of a fraction of a second, he had prepared himself for the next strike and even managed to throw her off kilter. 

Adrenaline and rage fueled her, and with one controlled movement, she slammed her fist into his face. His head snapped back satisfactorily with the force, but it was a brief triumph. Haruka's feet swept out from under her in the next moment. She landed ungracefully on her back and elbows. She suppressed the urge to cradle her tingling arms and rolled away from his descending foot. 

He was good, she'd give him that much. 

But, she vowed, for hurting one of the few people who could hold a place so close to her heart, he would pay. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Rei had struggled her way back up the steps despite her near-debilitating condition to see Yui Hiiro point his gun at the woman and end up shooting Usagi instead. 

Usagi had remained quiet amongst all of it. 

And because her friend, as raucous and articulate as she was, did not scream, Rei feared for the worst. 

And because she feared for the worst, Rei felt a human part of her shut down. 

Her hands seemed to burn with an innate fire as she reached for the purging white scrolls hidden in her _hakama_.* The 'possessed' was staring at her as if she knew. 

She would forgive the woman, but whatever the hell was controlling her would suffer infinitely. She would make sure of it. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

It wasn't the fact that he had shot Usagi that disconcerted him, but the fact that she had tried to save the woman who was killing her—and succeeded in doing so at the selfless expense of her own life. He mulled over it even as he moved fluidly in opposition to the strange blonde female—one who had required a second look to allow him to be as sure as he was now—attacking him with the skill of an expert martial artist. 

Amidst the quick blurred movements, he realized that she began to look increasingly familiar, though from where and how he knew eluded him. It was a mistake to have so many demanding thoughts going through his head at such a critical point. He paid for it with the quick and begrudgingly painful jab to the right of his face. Hiiro stumbled back, and using that momentum, ducked low to swing his leg in a wide arch. His opponent fell to the ground and rolled away, earning him just enough time to get within five feet of Usagi before he was rushed from the back.

As he landed on the ground, he heard Hino Rei speak something that held no meaning to him. At the same time, he saw a slip of paper flick from Hino Rei's hand to the woman's forehead.

The woman collapsed to the floor as he rose to his feet. 

But if his eyesight was as perfect as he knew it was, the black shadow that had lingered in her eyes had fled before the paper had touched her. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Rei tore off a piece of her red _ hakama_ and wrapped it tightly around Usagi's profusely bleeding arm. The bright crimson of the cloth darkened to the color of black cherries. Relief had come, knowing Usagi was still alive and consciously aware enough to be able to speak, but the blood that didn't stop was beginning to chase away the consolation. Her raging headache didn't help her mental state either. 

"Hotaru-chan is calling for an ambulance," she stated calmly, proud that her voice was not wavering as much as she had anticipated. 

"She knew." 

A concerned frown wrinkled her brow. Usagi's voice was much too soft and airy for comfort. "Knew what?" 

"She knew who I was, Rei-chan. She knew I was the princess." She moved her head with effort to the altercation, twisting herself and immediately regretting it. Her throat constricted as she spoke. "Stop it." 

"Stay still. You've lost a lot of blood." 

"Stop them, Rei-chan." 

Her lips thinned into a thin line; Usagi's glassy blue eyes stared at her almost lifelessly. She stood stiffly to her feet and walked the two feet to where the discarded gun lay. It was cold like ice under her fingertips, a little heavy, but raw and powerful. The safety was off. Rei fired one round into the sky. 

Her pet crows screamed with terror and took to the blue abyss. The crack echoed like the sharp snapping of a twig on a frozen winter morning. The enormous vibrations in the air stilled and it became quiet. 

"No more fighting. It was an accident. Yui-san was trying to help." 

Haruka narrowed her slanted teal eyes. Her limbs strained in the tenuous position. "You know him." 

"We've met," Rei answered curtly, giving Hiiro an equally curt nod and held out his weapon. "Your gun." 

He took it as if he hadn't been encumbered in a fight, flicked on the safety, and slipped it into his jacket. He squatted low to Usagi's side, as if it would make up for the precious time he had wasted and the rapidly inflating bubble of guilt that was now rising in his chest. 

It wasn't that he didn't care, because he didn't not care. Intentionally or unintentionally hurting a harmless person was never an objective of his, in fact highly discouraged against, although at one point it was. But that was back then, when he had thrived on his single-mindedness to survive. 

Now, shooting Usagi when he was positive that he would not, had thrown him out of a rigid equilibrium. He was getting sloppy, and sloppiness aggravated him. A nonexistent margin for mistakes had suddenly been torn into and before he had been able to smooth out the offending tear, someone with an ability that matched his own had attacked him. Survival became his one purpose again. It was either kill or be killed. 

A younger girl with straight, dark hair and slanted violet eyes slid into his periphery. She was fragile-looking with a closed expression on her fine-boned face. 

"The ambulance is coming," she informed quietly, mirroring his movements to the other side of the blonde. Her eyes followed his hands in the practiced examination he was performing on Usagi. They were long fingers, hard and calloused, fingers that belonged to a person who had spent a lifetime in physical labor. "I'm Tomoe Hotaru, a friend of Usagi-san. What's your name?" 

He paused at the blood-drenched arm and thought how small it was, how easily his hand could wrap around her upper arm and snap it in two if he wished. Usagi's eyes were focused on a point behind him—maybe even through him. "Yui Hiiro." Hiiro shifted his gaze toward the priestess and the masculine blonde. Hino Rei had pulled the older woman aside, both trapped in a heated discussion, though they spoke too softly for any meaningful extraction. 

She smiled faintly and shifted her hand to Usagi's forehead, finally out of scrutiny from his watchful stare. There was little she could do for her friend's critical wounds without coming in direct contact with them, but she could ease any side-effects that may have occurred to her head. Her hands warmed under Usagi's fevered skin. 

The persistence of her healing powers had addled the team because no one else was able to tap into any of their elements save Rei. Rei's powers of premonition and exorcism had also stuck with her, so finally, they had contributed their talents to that of themselves and not of their alter egos. Ami had suggested that these abilities were manifestations of spirits, derived not from their past lives, but bestowed in this lifetime. 

She hadn't understood, despite the knowledge of the universe she had regained after her rebirth from Mistress Nine. The meaning of 'lifetime' had slipped off the word. Living and dying had become equally meaningless. This 'lifetime' she had died three* times already, although all together, she had already died four times. And all four times, she hadn't the luxury of a normal childhood. Her lives became duty, her duty her life, and her life meaningless. 

"Hotaru-chan. . ." 

She leaned forward, guiding her soothing power into Usagi's pallid skin, morbid thoughts dissolving. "Yes?" 

"I'm sorry. . .I'm so sorry. . ." she whispered suddenly, tears wetting her unfocused eyes. 

"Usagi-san? Sorry for what?" 

"Sometimes, I can't remember what Chibi-Usa looked like." 

What little color in Hotaru's face drained. Hiiro had noticed, had been paying attention covertly to the small exchange. "Chibi-Usa?" 

"My—" 

"Cousin. Chibi-Usa was Usagi-san's cousin," she stated firmly after a deep struggle for breath. The air became oppressively stagnant around her. A weight sat heavily on her chest, measured innumerably by the physicality of losing a friend, but so much less than what Usagi had lost in a daughter. She knew not why Usagi had brought up such a sensitive topic to torture herself with. 

"It was my fault. I sent her back to meet you.* Do you miss her?" 

"Yes." She, eyelids drooping sorrowfully. 

Those royal blue eyes slid to Hotaru, a forlorn laugh bubbling out of her throat. "I miss her, too, but how do you miss someone you never knew? I don't understand. Do you understand?" 

Mutely, she shook her head no. 

"How about you, Hiiro-san? Have you ever missed someone you never knew?" 

It was a strange question, truthful and pensive, but strange because it unexpectedly struck a part of him he preferred to keep closed. There were two people he had never known and actually very rarely wondered about. The peculiar question facilitated one of these times. "My parents." 

The near imperceptible flicker in his eyes betrayed him; familiarity flooded her body, hot and cold at the same time. Her pupils expanded, regaining their natural vigor. "Oh!" She rose as much her broken bone would allow from the ground toward him, beseeching. "I-I'm sorry." Her good hand reached for his. 

It was a brief touch of comfort and sympathy, her hand pale and cold in his. She looked brighter now, and much more alert than she had been minutes ago, although he had some reservations in asking the numerous questions he had in mind. Usagi was a lot stronger than he had anticipated. She was functioning normally despite the short lapse of emotional chaos. 

Hino Rei and the other woman slipped back into the small circle gathered on the floor seconds before he heard the distant wail of sirens. The statuesque blonde now on the heels of her feet gazed at him coolly. 

"Tenoh Haruka," she introduced tightly. "I apologize for earlier." 

He nodded in acceptance, granted that she didn't sound remorseful. 

Softly, but seriously, Haruka touched Usagi's golden crown. "Koneko-chan. . ." 

She beamed in the face of the harrowing pain. "I'm okay, Haruka-san. How is she, the woman?" 

"Unconscious, but in better condition than you are," she said, teasing and solemn, successfully hiding her overwhelmingly protective nature over the child-woman. From Rei's account, Hiiro had performed with only the most innocent intentions in mind, but Usagi, as foolishly benevolent as she was, received the consequences of those intentions. 

Very shamefully, Haruka then recalled the events that ensued. Her first instinct had been to tear off Hiiro's head instead of what should have been concern for the well-being of Usagi. Stigmatized with her imprudence, she had apologized to Hiiro, but had yet to apologize to the impaired girl. 

Rei pulled her aside as people began to shuffle up the steps. "The paramedics are here. I'll stay with her for the ride." She turned to Hiiro automatically. "Will you be joining?" 

"There are some questions you need to answer." 

"Fine." She turned away shortly, following Usagi who was now in the stretcher. One of the paramedics fell into step beside her. 

"You're her friend?" 

"Yes. She'll be okay?" 

He nodded, glancing over his shoulder. "She's lost a lot of blood, but her vital signs are good. Steady heart rate, blood pressure is fine. She's a fighter, isn't she?" 

Her step faltered once at the insightful observation. "Yes, she is." 

"You live here, too?" 

"Yes." 

"It's going to take a lot of scrubbing to get the blood out. That stuff really stains." 

"Yes," she said quietly. "Blood is hard to get out." 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Minako had never imagined she would ever enter the presence of Relena Darlian. If she had known, she would have prepared. In the few moments she had to herself directly after the battle and before the grand meeting, she had woken up a deeply slumbering Artemis to reveal to him everything that had been going on. He in turn, reminded her to keep her mouth shut. Minako had promptly shoved the cat into her suitcase. 

They sat across from each other on dainty antique settees in the luxurious suite, the four Ayakashi sisters spread at each corner. 

Minako smiled politely and fidgeted in her seat as Relena continued to regard her silently. It was starting to unnerve her. 

"Ah, I'm sorry," the imperial woman suddenly started, realizing how rude it was to stare. "It's just that, you look like someone." 

"Minako models," Petz offered from her position by the door. 

"No, I don't think that's it. Nevermind, it doesn't matter." Relena paused. "I want to thank you for helping me and I'd like to ask a favor of you." 

The blonde blinked and nodded. "If it's about leaking it to the reporters, my lips are sealed," she answered seriously. "But I'd like to know myself what exactly happened." 

Relena laced her fingers tightly together in her lap and looked askance to Calaveras who nodded to allow her to continue. "No one is sure of what exactly is happening. Three weeks ago, this mysterious anomaly started occurring. Many of the people I've been working with began having these fits. They've been trying to kill me ever since." 

Minako chewed on her bottom lip, an anxious habit she had been trying to break. "And the sisters are your bodyguards?" 

A confused frown marred the honey-blonde's forehead. "Sisters?" 

The four women in question shared hesitant looks. Minako guiltily berated herself for speaking without thinking. 

"We're sisters, Miss Relena," Beruche admitted. "We changed our last names when we came into this job. Our real last names are Ayakashi." 

The commanding woman frowned, thin eyebrows creasing together. "I don't understand. Why? How did it get past security?" 

Cooan shook her head. "We never meant to mislead you, Miss Relena. We were told to take these and that our papers would be arranged." 

"From who?" 

"We can't reveal that information." 

Relena sat rigidly, bewildered and suspicious. This was beginning to make less and less sense to her, made her feel as if she was at the butt of a very twisted joke. Her throat clutched and she sank wearily back into plush seat, eyelids fluttering like enervated butterflies over her eyes. "Whoever this person was knew that this would occur, then." 

"Yes," Petz responded, "we were ordered to protect you at all costs. That these afflicted people are after you should be significant, but we haven't figured out why yet." 

"Then your source should know." 

Calaveras shook her head. "We haven't been able to get in contact with our source for over a year." 

Minako was quick to pick up on the subtle emphasis on the timeframe. There was only one person who could have known and that one person in question had disappeared nearly two years ago. The fact that Setsuna had contacted the Ayakashi sisters last year meant that she was still around somewhere. 

Or had been until that point. 

It was likely Setsuna was hiding out, though where and why evaded her. Minako rolled the information around in her head, intent on enlightening her former comrades. She had, after all, only promised not to tell it to the press. Her friends were not the media. 

"Miss Darlian—" 

"Relena, please." 

Minako smiled. The Vice Foreign Minister wasn't much older than herself, but nevertheless, was an incredibly bright woman who commanded much of the world's respect. In a strange way, the tenacious woman triggered a subdued memory of another woman of the same, if not greater, prominence. "Relena, I don't know what's going on, but please trust them." 

Her head bowed slightly, honey-colored bangs dipping over her forehead. "May I ask how you know them?" 

Dimly, Minako wondered if lying to the Vice Foreign Minister was acceptable. "Well," she began easily, "we met in Japan through some friends." 

It seemed like Relena bought it because she uttered a sidetracked, "I see." 

Petz folded her arms over her chest, troubled. "Miss Relena, we'd like to keep this from the two Preventers." 

She nodded. "I understand. I won't reveal your identities." 

"Relena, why did you ask to speak to me alone?" Minako inquired after a brief pause. The disclosure of the Ayakashi sisters' true identities had been accidental and could not have been foreseen, causing the blonde to wonder what exactly Relena had wanted to say to her. 

"Well," she began hesitantly. "It's a silly reason. I don't even know why exactly. Back before the Sanq Kingdom had been attacked, there were a number of paintings. I don't remember much from that time, but I do remember these paintings had been a sort of heirloom. They were of a regal woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. The image has somewhat faded from my memory, but I couldn't help thinking they vaguely looked like you." 

"Do you remember where they came from?" she asked, interest piquing.

Relena laughed quietly, "I think my mother used to tell me they were from the moon. I think I believed her, too." 

Minako blinked, stunned, and glanced at the sister quartet. They all shared the same mystified expression. 

"Did I say something strange?" 

She shook her head swiftly, eager to hear more. "No, no. Do you remember anything else from the painting?" 

The Vice Foreign Minister peered at her thoughtfully. "She had a strange hairstyle. I can't really describe it; there were two buns and two ponytails. It was charming." She sat back, holding her arms over her abdomen. "I think it was named 'Serenity III,' and now that I think about it, that was what the Sanq pacificism was based on. There was a short inscription about the sanctity of peace. I don't remember what exactly it said now." 

Minako, unable to quelch her rising curiosity, pushed forward with another question. "Do you still have them?" 

"No," Relena said, shaking her head. "They were burnt after the palace was attacked." 

The disappointment was almost devastating. The coincidence was too great to be left untouched. Was it possible that the imperial paintings had been found among the Moon Kingdom ruins? But who could have found them and why would they have given them to the Peacecraft's? Minako had very little idea, but the one person who seemed likely to know was missing in action. 

"But, there was one more thing. It did speak of a majestic kingdom that would eventually rise to the far reaches of space. It reminded me of a fairytale." 

The blonde smiled vaguely. "You'd be surprised at how many fairytales are based on true stories." 

- - - - - - - - - - 

He had been functioning on strong, bitter black coffee for the past two days. There had been examinations and then cross-examinations to be performed, reports to be written up, calls to be made, paperwork to be filled out, the press to be accounted for, her infuriated family to be dealt with, and then to top it all off, a censure from Lady Une to be attended to. 

But this was nothing compared to the things he had grown up on. This was a vacation. 

Hiiro walked through the fluorescent-lit halls of the hospital, eyes sliding sordidly at the excessively clean walls and squeaky clean floor. He hated hospitals as much as he hated weakness. There was something very unappealing about them, an innate preconception situated in memories he chose to keep locked. 

Usagi was residing in room twenty-seven. He didn't need to check the paper again, but he did anyway. The doctors and other hospital personnel had restricted visitors to close family for the time being, and not even his threatening had shaken their decision one bit. They did however, let him know when he could see her and promised that he would be the first. They had promised Rei, too, but he was determined to beat her to Usagi. He couldn't let the mysterious priestess contaminate the blonde's answers to his questions as he was sure she would. 

He turned a corner and a chipper white door stared blankly back at him. The shade behind the tiny viewing window had been pulled down, but it didn't deter the voice that came within. 

"Don't worry, Luna! I'm fine!" 

Some indiscernible mumbling followed and then it was all quiet. He knocked once and swung the door open. Usagi stared bright-eyed at him as if she had known. A sleek black cat sat severely in her lap, liquid amber eyes pinned on him. 

If he didn't know better, he would have thought the cat was calculating his every move. 

"Hi, Hiiro-san!" 

His greeting was a little less enthusiastic than hers. "You look well." 

Her grin spread so wide, it covered half her face. "They gave me lots of drugs!" 

Hiiro nodded tactfully, though dubiously. "Non-drowsy?"

She shrugged and occupied herself with stroking the cat's fur.

"They allow pets in the hospital?" 

Her eyes widened a little and flicked to the side—the signs of a poor liar. "Well, Luna's a special pet. All her nagg—I mean meowing will encourage me to get better!" 

Hiiro gave the cat a void look. She flicked her midnight tail as if she was annoyed. 

"Why don't you sit down, Hiiro-san?" Usagi pointed at the seat by her bedside with her good arm. He retrieved his gun instead, placing it resolutely on the bedspread. Usagi stared blankly. Maybe the morphine was getting to her. "What's that for?" 

"Retribution." 

She pouted. "For what? What did I do?" 

"I shot you. It's fair that you do the same to me." 

"In here? In the hospital? I think the doctors will get mad," she whispered conspiratorially. 

"Whenever you want." 

She blinked once, not sure what to make of his retort and giggled. "You're funny, Hiiro-san! Please sit down?" 

He relented and sat very still in the ergonomic plastic seat. Funny? Did she think he was joking? "I'm giving you a chance to take revenge." 

She smiled at him, puzzled, a little oblivious, but sweet. "You're nice, Hiiro-san, but a little weird. Ne, Luna?" Usagi patted her cat indulgently over the head. "Do you like animals?" 

Nice? "No." 

Luna, out of spite, leapt into his lap and dug her claws comfortably into his thighs. She flexed her claws again when she didn't get a satisfying reaction out of him. 

"Luna!" Usagi scolded, "get back here!" 

To his surprise, the belligerent black cat hopped back to her previous pedestal of observation like an obedient dog. Or an intelligent cat. 

"Usagi—" 

"How come you don't call me Usagi-chan? Or even Usagi-san? But I like Usagi-chan better. Don't you?" 

He scowled. "Why are you suddenly so full of questions?" 

She feigned a hurt look, sniffling for effect. "I just want to know you more since our time together got cut short." 

It went unnoticed. "Hn." 

"So why do you have a gun?" Usagi gave the device a little inquisitive poke with her index finger. 

"It came with the job." 

"Oh." She poked it again. "What do you do?" 

"I work for an organization." 

"What kind of organization?" 

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you." 

"Would it bother you if you did?" 

He wanted to say no, because if he said yes, it would've meant he cared. There was very little that he cared about in this world. "Hn. Why did you save her?" 

Her hand paused above Luna's glossy black coat, head tilted to the side. Neither his less-than-reassuring answer nor his drastic change in topic seemed to bother her. "Couldn't you tell?" 

"Tell what?" 

"She was. . ." she trailed off slowly, struggling for the right word. 

Hiiro stared at her distractedly. Usagi's hair was undone from her more or less normal hairstyle. With it down, she looked infinitely older. She looked as if she knew something he didn't know. "Possessed," he said at length. 

"Right! She didn't have control over her own body, that's why." 

He fell speculatively quiet. "Where did you get your watch?" 

"Eh? My watch?" 

"It talked." 

"It was a present from Rei-chan. You know Rei-chan, right?" She didn't wait for him to answer as she continued reproachfully, "I'm sorry about Haruka-san! I hope she didn't hurt you or anything." 

"I'm fine," he responded gruffly, both relieved and disappointed in how much her answer overlapped with Rei's. He looked blandly at the sterile hospital walls. "Why did you lead the possessed woman to the shrine?" 

"Rei-chan specializes in that kind of hocus-pocus stuff. Ne, Luna?" She scrubbed her hand across the top of the poor cat's head. Usagi gasped suddenly and blurted out, "You work for the police, don't you!" 

"No." 

"Oh," she murmured, disenchanted. "Is it really a secret organization?" 

His mouth twitched at the child-like curiosity. "Hn." 

The door suddenly swung open, clanging loudly against the wall. "_Konnichiwa__!_"** 

"Duo-san!" Usagi exclaimed, dissolving into a fit of giggles. Her eyes went huge and blissfully glazed at the enormous bouquet of brightly colored flowers he held in both arms. Behind the forest of blossoms, two faces popped out. "Mako-chan, Ami-chan!" 

"Usagi-chan, you know these two guys?" the Amazonian brunette whispered, placing her basket of goodies on the rapidly-diminishing surface of the nightstand. Ami nodded in accordance, an almost scandalized look on her face. 

"Duo Maxwell and that's Hiiro Yui. Say hi, Hiiro!" Duo gave them each a normal, albeit somewhat much more excited American greeting. 

"Hello," Makoto greeted with a grin, reeling with the rapid exchange of English. Rei had warned she and Ami about these two, but she hadn't warned them about how attractive they were. She nodded resolutely. Anyone who looked this good couldn't be all that bad. 

"Pleased to meet you," Ami said in a slightly accented voice. Her face was flushed prettily pink, hand still tingling from the enthusiastic shake. 

Hiiro stood abruptly and nodded, inwardly discontented with the influx of people and what little time he had been allowed with Usagi alone. The tiny room was beginning to get smaller and smaller. He took a comforting step backwards toward the door. 

"That's Mako-chan, and that's Ami-chan," Usagi pointed respectively, puzzled at the way Hiiro hung back from the crowd. "Hiiro—" 

"Usagi-chan, I brought your homework." 

A tiny muscle in Usagi's right eye convulsed as her more introverted friend delightfully deposited a load of books into her lap. "Ah, Ami-chan, you shouldn't have. . ." 

Ami grinned. If Usagi didn't know better, she would have thought it looked sadistic. 

"No problem, Usagi-chan. Do you know where Rei went? She told us to meet her here, but we haven't been able to find her." 

"Rei-chan?" she repeated thoughtfully. "Nope! I didn't even know you were coming today!" Then she dissolved into another fit of giggles at the utterly baffled look on Duo's face. 

"She's probably on her way." 

The blue-haired girl blinked at Hiiro in a cursory scrutiny. His head was bowed, though eyes vacant or closed, she couldn't really tell. There was still the disputable topic of Duo's and Hiiro's relationship to naïve Usagi, such as how they had met and if they were upright citizens, but for now, Ami believed they were capable people. "Thank you. I'll go look for her." She nodded subtly to Makoto. 

"Wait, Ami-chan! Can you take Luna with you?" 

Ami stared at the feline's protesting form trapped by the scruff of her neck in Usagi's hand. The blonde gave her the best pleading expression she could conjure. "Okay, Usagi-chan." 

Luna meowed loudly and Duo could have sworn she said something along the lines of 'NO.' 

Not seeing anything particularly wrong with the request, as Luna could be a finicky character, Ami picked up Luna and exited the room. 

Only when they were finally outside did the cat lose her composure and spit out her annoyance. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Room twenty-five. . .room twenty-six. . .twenty-seven. 

She paused to lick her lips as her heart lurched in her chest. The door was ajar, boisterous, merry voices practically booming out of it and leaking into the clean, empty hallway. She wrung her hands, swallowing back the painful lump of tears. 

"E-Excuse me." 

Fresh, cheery faces turned inquisitively, faces that she could only imagine had never seen death or unhappiness. Blissfully ignorant faces that made her anxious and unworthy and ashamed. Her eyes skimmed the room. Those youthful bodies blocked who she sought. 

"Is this the room. . ." There were several quick movements, where at the climax she found herself staring detachedly down the single metal eye of a gun. Her smile was wane in the face of equitable death. 

"Hiiro-san! What are you doing? Put that down!" demanded a panicked voice from behind. 

The man named Hiiro, glared coldly, electric blue eyes clouded and clear at the same time. She remembered him as a haze of blue-black ice that time her hands had been locked around the girl with the never-ending eyes. They had made a pair, chasing at her soul everyday since that incident. 

"I mean no harm. My name is Chisa Maruko. I came to apologize." 

When he didn't move, the tiny girl blockaded by a number of her friends, piped up with another admonishment. "Hiiro-san! Please!" Only then did he lower his arm, although he was far from putting aside his weapon. 

They parted, the lovely brunette and the man with the vivid indigo eyes, giving her a full view of the sunny-blonde dwarfed in the enormous bed. 

The golden child spoke first, concern lacing her speech. "Chisa-san, are you better now?" 

"Tsukino-san, I. . ." Her mouth moved, lips forming words that refused to cling to her voice. The girl, Tsukino Usagi gazed at her quietly, pretty round face slack, but composed. There was no judgment, no prejudice, only a hushed and soothing harmony. 

How could _she_ so generously ask about her well-being? How, when _she_ was a victim of her thoughtlessness? 

Her high, raw voice struggled into the back of her throat. "I'm sorry, just sorry." 

Usagi blinked, offering a smile. "It's okay, Chisa-san. . .I'm sorry you had to go through that." 

There was no contempt in her voice, only truth and sincerity. Maruko's hands quivered. "It was my fault—I. . .I let it take control of me." 

"It?" she whispered. 

"It promised I would stop hurting. . .!" 

Usagi gave a shake of her head, her golden curtain of hair shifting outward as if it was alive. "I don't understand." 

"My daughter," she whispered, "I lost her five years ago in the Eve Wars, killed in the sidelines of a mobile suit fight. She would have turned twenty the day before yesterday." 

Usagi turned her hands outwards in a sympathetic gesture, sensitive blue eyes flickering with a disquieting memory. "The hurt never goes away, does it?" 

She stood dumbly in the doorway, ages and ages away from the tiny girl. "No, never." 

"No matter what anyone says, it sticks there, in your heart, and you wonder why it happened, why it had to happen to you. . ." 

Maruko felt her eyes sting with bitter tears. No, no, it never goes away, she thought despairingly, only achieving existence as a physiological side-effect of emotion. 

". . .And you wonder what you could have done to prevent it. . ." 

"I should have protected her, should have protected her from the war." 

Usagi's sensitive blue eyes sharpened as if someone had splashed cold water on her face. "War is stupid, isn't it? All it does is destroy. But," she added almost inaudibly, eyes closing in her ashen face, "but, when it comes, you can either sit and pretend it's not happening, or you can stand up and fight. Otherwise, how else can you search for your happiness?" 

"But it still hurts—" 

She traced a crease in her bedspread with the tip of her index finger. "It will never go away, Chisa-san. All you can do is embrace it. Because, when you embrace it, you'll remember how much you love your daughter. That is what is most important, isn't it? The precious memory of your daughter." 

The room became muted, only the wind of Usagi's words stirring through her hair, in her body, through her flesh. Cool, green wind that caressed her face and swept down her cheeks. The temperate girl smiled sadly. 

Through her smile, Maruko didn't see, but rather felt, the intensity of Usagi's soul. She looked down, not because it was so physically bright that it hurt her eyes, but because she did not know how else to pay a respect adequate enough in its worth to the breathtaking luminescence. 

"One day, Chisa-san, the world will realize how foolish war is, but until then, let's remember how to be happy." 

Usagi's arms opened to her then, and she, with her deplorable weeping, entered into their warmth. 

- - - - - - - - - - - 

Ami had found Rei with the deepest brooding expression she had seen in a long time, staring at an empty wall in the waiting room. 

Curiosity winning, Ami decided she didn't want to disturb and decided to wait out Rei's meditative state. Luna was less patient. 

"Rei-chan, what are you doing?" 

"I talked to Minako again last night. The possessions are happening everywhere Relena Darlian is appearing," she said without turning. "The Ayakashi siblings are guarding her and Minako believes it was Pluto who asked them to do it although they had not directly revealed it to be her. They've been protecting her since last year. She also said the Vice Foreign Minister had paintings of Serenity." She swiveled around then, eyes turned into sharp jewels as they caught the light. "Paintings, Luna. From the moon!" 

The feline shifted, pacing uneasily around the deserted room. Usagi kicking out of the hospital room had added to her restlessness. She didn't like the two men, mostly based on distrust, something the blonde wasn't very used to. "There's a magic seal around the moon. Are you sure it's not a hoax?" 

"The title 'Serenity the third' doesn't sound much like a hoax to me," hissed Rei as a young doctor strolled by. He quickened his pace at the murderous look.

"Rei-chan," Ami whispered, "it's possible that Endymion had brought the paintings to Earth from the moon and they were discovered here. Elysion was situated very near where the Sanq Kingdom is today." 

The priestess relaxed slightly. "You're right," she admitted. 

"And since it had never been brought into the world's attention, let's put that aside for now. What's more important is why these possessed people want to kill Usagi and Relena Darlian." 

"And who or what is controlling these people," Luna added, lamenting apprehensively. "If only we knew where Setsuna had gone." 

"If only we had our powers." 

"If only." 

- - - - - - - - - - - 

On L4, the owner of Winner Corporation picked up a plain manila envelope from his desk. He flipped it around in his hands, unsure as to how it had gotten there. Finding no distinguishing markings, he unraveled the twine that bound it and slid the contents onto the counter. 

Quatre's seafoam eyes widened. Hands trembling, he sorted through the stack of thin tracing papers. 

There were five plans in all. At the very bottom, an ordinary note pleaded of him: 

'For the reign of Serenity III.'

_*hakama = priestess garb (I think) **Konnichiwa = (If you don't know what this is, I should shoot you :P)_

_AN: Has anyone seen PGSM? Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon AKA Sailor Moon Live Action? I've seen up to number four, and uh, it's 0.o interesting. Lol, I don't know what else to say! ^_^;; It's kind of corny and ... certain aspects are wth-ish ... but I like it. :D I guess it's just my bias towards Sailor Moon, but it's cool! And cute! It's much easier to see Usagi's higher quality characteristics than her poorer ones. ^^() They're not exactly following with everything in the anime/manga, and one part in particular I felt they shouldn't have tampered with, but overall, it's not *that* bad. *embarrassed giggle* But, uh, I do have one MAJOR peev. Jadeite has really bad teeth. -.- He was so CUTE as a 2-D character, but the live action has defiled his image. ;-; I'll never be able to look at him the same way again. T__T _

_Hrrrmmmmm o.o;; I feel like I'm going too fast with this fic. I honestly didn't intend this to be a romance, but I want to lead Usagi and Hiiro together ... and I think I'm achieving their togetherness too fast. o_O;; E-tto, sorry if this is starting to sound like one of those "Damn, you're hot; let's go have sex" stories, because I'm really trying not to make it like that._

**Star Sutaa**: Thanks! ^^; I'm glad you think it's neat! I hope you'll still think so when it develops more! ^^;

**Crystalstorm21**: Thankies! ^_^

**Sailor Grape**: Ohh, that's okay. AND LOL! I'm totally planning on making stuff up. . ..;; Poor Quatre. See, he appeared! I hadn't even meant for him to appear. . . but he's fitting in perfectly right now! *hugs Quatre* XD Yah X_X lots of breaks in POV last time. Sorry about that! I think I was trying to make a point, but then I forgot what my point was. . . *sweatdrop* I hope this chapter met with your expectations of the showdown. o.o I think my writing style really changed throughout. I have this terrible habit of writing a little, leaving, doing something else, then coming back to write a little bit more. ^^;; I totally agree with you! I love the Ayakashi sisters! ^_^

**the Desert Fox**: WOW! Thanks for all the info!! It was actually pretty helpful (even though it took me a few times to read it all ... I'm just so slow). ^^; Ack, it was actually Petz who didn't trust people not from Earth, not Relena. X_X Sorry for not making that clear enough. I feel pretty bad now. xD Haha, I find it so hard to follow the GW timeline because so much is going on at the same time. For the longest time, I didn't know the difference between the Alliance and OZ and all those little factions. Actually, I still don't know which side Zechs was on to begin with. o.o I wish I could get my hands on the manga. . . or the entire series. *sigh* But thank you, thank you for all that info! :D

**Angelight**: Yah! I've finally gotten the hang of long chapters. XD The preview is actually not a new story. o.o It was just some random inspiration floating around. ^^; HRM! I actually didn't realize what I was doing with the fluctuating atmospheres! It was actually a bunch of copying and pasting and throwing stuff together 'cause I typed out a bunch of stuff then decided to edit it all!!! O.o; Godzilla. . .that reminds of me Aideen Legacy's story. XD It's really funny! :D

**Allure**: Oh, sorry sorry, the preview isn't for another story. X.x It was just a burst of inspiration thanks for Cowboy Bebop at like 1 in the morning. :D I love Cartoon Network. I actually wasn't going to explain who was coming after Usagi, but after reading your review, I got inspired! It didn't really help to explain, did it? Lol, well, mostly, I just wanted to point out that Usagi is forever forgiving. . .that shall lead up to more stuff later on. ^^

**Usagi Asia Maxwell**: The Ayakashi sisters! ;D They're from the Black Moon family with Demando and Rubeus and such and such. ^^ I'm sorta going back and forth between SM manga and anime, but mostly anime. ^_^

**Hikari Yume**: Doumo O.O *bows*

**Liquid Ice**: Ah! Gomen gomen! X_X I didn't mean to crack your neck and run you a fever. *bows in apology* I hope you feel better now! Yah, yah!! Ayakashi sisters. I'm glad other people love them, too! ^^ Oops, the maid's not actually dead ;.; I'm sorry! I could make her dead. . .but I just thought it'd be too. . .gruesome. And I'd have to bring police into it and this and that _ Okay, I didn't kill her because I was lazy. -.-;; Yeah! I think Minako's sort of aware of a relationship between H, D, W, and T. But not really yet. . . it's just like this lingering thought type thing. KAHAHAHA, I dunno about Wufei. I stuck that in there to lighten up the mood a little. It's so fun to bug Wufei. I loved how you dubbed him the "adorable bastard." ^___^!! I've always contributed the concealment of their identities to magic and the lot. Seems to make sense. It's kindda like Superman! Off with the glasses - Clark Kent. On with the glasses - Superman. 0.o Oh no! Quatre isn't kidnapped. . .but I could have him kidnapped. . . o.o Ahh, all these ideas!!

**Heero's Bunny**: O_O But-but, I have midterms!! T.T But I'll try. . .just for you ^_~;

**Hyper Bunny16**: Thanks! ^^; It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when people like my fic. (Even though it sucks. x.x)

**Damia - Queen of the Gypsi's**: I remember! ^^; I thought you lost interest in the story. . . I'm glad you're back! ^_^

**kimeno-pebols**: The Ayakashi sisters are from the Sailor Moon R season. I was actually going to use the Amazoness Quartet!! But I hadn't seen enough of it to get a hang of their characters. . . ^_^

**Suki**: Wah? You're a much better writer than I am!! O_O!! I get so worked up when I read Queen of the Underworld ! It's so sad! And you update so fast!! Suki-san!! Thank you!! I'll make you happy if you make me happy ^_~ (meaning more fanfics!! :D) And where's chapter 12?! My ethernet has been down since the weekend so I have to use dial-up. NOOO!!

**themoonmaiden**: LOL Beauty and the Beast! I love that movie. ;-; It's like the Little Mermaid. . .a classic. Haha, Hiiro is the beast. Rofl .;; Is it manmade? O_O That's a good question. . . I'm not sure how to answer it myself. And the Gundam thing. . .!! That got inspired after I read your review. Thanks!! :D I have so much to dooo! *adds more and more and more plot* You wrote out the second chapter and now you want to rewrite it?! ;-; But poor fans like myself want to read your fics. Pwease? ^^;;

**Black Aura-Sama**: Wah, thanks! Lol, Lain was awesome. . .ly confusing. HAHA I should watch it again. I loved it, but what a trip. ^^ *gasps* WHERE THE HELL is PLUTO? Uh, she's around. She'll show up soon in a few chapters, I think. ^^;; Er, p-please don't kill me ;.; There's so much I haven't done yet in this pitiful life of mine! *sobs* Well yeah :D I try to portray everyone correctly, even when I'm in terrible angst-crazed moods. *nodsnods* Rei friendshippyness is very important, yes indeed! Hrm, all that talk about killing and eating has made me hungry! Better finish up the review corner before I eat!

**SailorKagome**: T-thanks 0.0;; I think you're exaggerating, but thank you! *giddy smile*


	9. A shame then I can read your mind

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing.

_AN: I'm so sorry about not updating! I just realized I haven't updated in over a month so I spent all night typing up this chapter. Haha, not really. I had to fine-tune it some more was all. I have a longer AN/rant at the bottom if anybody wants to stick around and read._

**And You Don't Seem to Understand**

Chapter 8

The translucent clouds billowed inconsistently in the pale sky, churning and somersaulting. They stretched apart as damp cotton fibers would in the mercy of a child's curious fingers. Shadows of light drifted in and out of negligent holes. 

Transfixed, Makoto watched them. A storm was brewing, undoubtedly. She felt it in her bones, a sharp, cold chill that agitated the smudged clouds more and more. 

The wind picked up. She pulled her coat tighter around her body and hastened down the street, clinging the bag of baked goods to her chest. She and the other ex-inner Senshi were having a meeting at the shrine to go over the details of what exactly had happened. Usagi would be there with her insatiable appetite. She smiled nostalgically, though it was a little fade a little around the edges. 

The display in the hospital with Chisa Maruko was very familiar, Makoto was sure of it. She knew she had seen or felt or heard it somewhere, but that memory was as elusive as all the other answers to the questions she had. . . 

Such as how Usagi was healing so quickly without the help of Hotaru. 

Her fractured rib was healing thrice as fast as it should, which wasn't incredibly fast altogether, but enough to bring to their attention. She did count themselves lucky that the physicians had not noticed before Usagi's release from the hospital. It had been Hotaru who had first became aware of the situation when she had attempted to aid in the blonde's recovery. 

But the blonde, as clueless as she was, was recovering perfectly fine without Hotaru's assistance. 

Makoto sighed. It seemed as if everything strange that had been dormant during the two years of peace were coming at once to make up for its absence. 

A drop of water spotted her nose, dispelling her thoughts. She looked up into the clouds. It was raining again. Spring should have been here already, yet winter seemed reluctant to let go. 

But everything had to let go eventually. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Her singular soft voice announcing near tangible convictions repeated again and again in his unyielding mind, even after he and Duo had made their way back to the hotel, even after he had dispatched a report of the day's work to Lady Une, even while he slept last night, and even now as he wandered empty, rain-filled streets to clear his mind. 

The woman had explained the 'possession' as she had called it after her tears had subdued. A seductive voice had beckoned to her with attractive, empty promises. There was no physical body, just a voice by her ear, in her mind. That was how it used her, how it became her. 

It wanted to help ease her pain. It wanted to assist the coming of the end. 

But what was it? What was the coming of the end? he had pressed, hostile in his demands. She had shrunk back, eyes wide with ignorant honesty. She didn't know. 

Whether they believed her or not was still debatable. As ludicrous as the idea had seemed, Duo had dwelled on it for much longer than he would have in ordinary circumstances. 

Hiiro squeezed his eyes shut in a futile effort of barricading himself from the ever-present haunt of Usagi's speech. Everything would have been so much easier if she was as dimwitted as she sometimes acted, because then, he wouldn't be mulling over how she wasn't. Her words of forgiveness almost pained him—they had come so earnestly, not embittered by the broken rib or the ring of purple-black bruises encircling her slender neck. 

She had even dwindled his offer for reprisal into a feature of entertainment. He did not joke, he was not funny, and he was not nice. She should have known this. 

Another massive headache was drilling piteously into the back of his brain. The person who had been following him for the past five minutes was also not helping. 

He rounded a corner and stopped at the edge. His gun was out and aimed, but Tenoh Haruka had expected it. She stood fearlessly in front of him. 

"What do you want?" Hiiro more stated than asked, flipping his weapon back into back of his jeans. 

"We need to talk." 

"Hn." 

"It would be in all of our best interests if you kept your nose out of our business," she said curtly. 

His suspicions were correct—these women knew more than they were letting on. "What is going on?" 

"It can't be explained to someone like you." 

"I could have you arrested for failure to cooperate." 

"There's no one here who will aid you. Stay away from what you don't understand." 

They were very much alike, he and her; neither liked meddlers and neither suffered fools. But he was here on business and business involved permanent peace. This woman was very much in the way of his responsibility. 

Holding her at gunpoint again was out of the question—the adverse consequences would surpass the benefits. 

Hiiro schooled his face and decided to approach her from another angle, albeit slightly underhanded. "What is Usagi to you?" 

Her face twisted into a scowl. "Stay away from her." 

"I could have every file that even mentions her pulled up. If I find anything remotely suspicious, I could have her taken away," he said with a frown. Why hadn't he done this sooner? 

"Oh?" she responded with mock surprise, retreating into contempt. "Are you a private investigator, too?" 

"The skill is not lost to me." He warily noticed her sudden change in disposition. 

"You can find people?" 

"If necessary." 

Haruka weighed his words, lips sliding into a grave line. "Anyone?" 

The tables had turned. His arctic eyes were dead serious. "Anyone." 

There were so many things wrong with this meeting. Warnings told her to step away from Yui and not give him anymore loose information she had managed to disclose. There was, however, the curiosity that needed to be contended with and so far, curiosity was emerging the victor. 

She needed to know, for the sake of the future, Usagi, and herself, just where the hell Meiou Setsuna had disappeared to. 

Haruka smiled wryly and said, "What would it take to find someone?" 

- - - - - - - - - - 

As expected, Usagi had dug right in to Makoto's goodies without any encouragement. Not even Rei could have stopped her, if she had even bothered to try. The priestess had picked up a muffin, but it continued to sit on her plate untouched. 

Worried, Ami gently touched her shoulder. "Rei-chan? Are you okay?" 

She nodded inattentively. "Usagi. . ." 

"Hm?" she mumbled, swiping off the crumbs around her mouth. 

"I think you should stay away from Yui-san." 

Her hand fell slack, dropping the half-eaten cookie. "Why?" 

"We don't know what he's after and we can't find out unless we give ourselves away. It's too risky." 

The blonde suddenly snapped up to her feet, fists curling at her sides. "He's not a bad person! Why are you acting like he was the cause of all of this?" she demanded shrilly, eyes sweeping from person to person. They stared at her with the same shocked expressions. 

Luna shook her head in disbelief. "Usagi-chan—do you like him?" 

She flushed, lowering her eyes. It was all the evidence they needed. 

"Maybe it's just a crush," Makoto suggested feebly, instantly regretting it when Usagi gave her a look of unfathomable misery and melancholy. Her heart plummeted to the pit of her stomach in sympathy. 

The tears were coming, fast and without preface. Her eyes were stretched long to keep her bitter tears from crawling pathetically over her cheeks. They meant it for her sake, and she knew this, but today, the tears were coming and they would not stop. 

Usagi turned around, stubbornly refusing to wipe her eyes. The door was slightly open—a sign. 

She ran. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

It had to have been hours later that she stopped, doused to the bone with cold rainwater and breathing so hard and fast she felt like she wasn't breathing at all. She slumped weakly down against a hard backing, ignorant of what it was or where she had fled to. Usagi buried her face in her knees and held herself tightly. 

She cried again for herself and for Mamoru. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

He remembered who Tenoh Haruka was when she mentioned Kaioh Michiru, the violinist at Quatre's social gathering and the enigmatic woman he had bumped into at the library. How he had reacquainted with these people he had never expected to see again was a mystery to him, although there was one point where everything seemed to link back to—the fateful day he had Usagi, or put more simply, Usagi herself. She knew all these people and they knew her. The fact that they were also intimate and named after satellites of the Milky Way Galaxy was not lost to him. 

He dragged windows upon windows of files, pictures, and names. From employee records, Meiou Setsuna had worked and resided in Tokyo as a laboratory research assistant up until two years ago. She resigned one week before she mysteriously vanished. All documents stopped there. Hiiro did have one hunch to locate her, however; Meiou was an uncommon surname, one he was sure to hold significance. 

Meiou was the planet Pluto. 

- - - - - - - - - 

Hiiro had been confusing Duo more so than usual lately. It had started with the little things such as the preoccupied expressions Hiiro had been more used to wearing. At first, Duo had attributed it to the circular nature of their case—every lead always led back to another clue that they thought they had already exhausted, and then that clue would lead them even further back. It was frustrating to begin with, and Duo was not one who fell to frustration very easily. 

He strolled through the damp streets languidly. They, now reduced to himself, had had an appointment with an owner of a small shop in the center of Tokyo. According to some maps and blueprints of older Sailor Senshi phenomena, a pattern had arisen that encompassed five points in the heart of the city. At the time, one had been a cosmetic store, but the owner had not been very useful in aiding them. Another had been a shop that sold lucky charms and fortune-telling paraphernalia. The store had since closed, however, the manager had indicated he knew some information regarding that incident over the phone, inviting Duo to his house for further details. That was where he was headed to now. 

Duo blew at his bangs, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets. Hiiro had ditched him to 'take care of some business.' He had no idea what his volatile partner was up to, and any attempt to interfere had been efficiently thwarted. He had expressed his anxiety to Trowa and Wufei, who were both busy with their own troubles regarding the Vice Foreign Minister to be of any great help. Trowa had offered one piece of advice, and that was to let Hiiro be. He had always been better at doing things by himself. 

"Well," he muttered to himself as he stood before a plain door, "I guess Trowa's right. Not even Hell, or Earth freezing over for that matter, would deter the Perfect Soldier from getting his job done." Duo grinned reproachfully to himself and gave the buzzer a firm push. 

- - - - - - - - - 

The plan had been to reach Haruka at a private number and rally whenever he finished gathering the information she sought. She would then, keeping her part of the bargain, reveal to him all that he needed to know, although he believed she would manage to avoid questions if she was as cunning as he suspected. He had to choose his questions carefully. 

The first part of his schedule had been more than half finished when it opened to accommodate for an unexpected event. Since Duo had taken the car to continue with an interview later that day, Hiiro had been stuck with the simplest mode of transportation. The quickest way to reach his destination was to cut across the park where the chaos had begun. 

Several streetlights had turned on, though the light of the moon was enough. He had been cautiously aware in the forthcoming dimness when he instinctively turned his head. Even when he saw her, he couldn't understand why he had done it at that precise moment to the direction in which she was situated. He saw her and knew instantly who she was. 

The rain had ended a few minutes ago, but she was drenched with water when he approached, shivering like a leaf in a malicious gale. Her slender arms were crossed over her knees, dark blonde head bent into them. The bandage on her right arm was soaked through the thin blouse. 

He glared warningly at her lack of commonsense. His hand touched her shoulder roughly. 

Usagi lifted her head, slowly, disoriented. Her wounded eyes were rimmed with red. 

"Hiiro-san?" she croaked, giving her shadowy surroundings a confused sweep. "What are you doing here?" 

His electric eyes were trained on hers, but he noticed how her pale face was smudged with an unhealthy flush. "You were crying." 

"Something in my eye," she lied half-heartedly, curling tighter into herself. It seemed as if she had just realized how cold she was. Hiiro continued to loom above her dauntingly. She looked at him uncertainly. 

"You don't look well," he said finally, extending his hand. He scowled when she gave it an empty stare. He did not offer help to have it rejected. 

She placed her clammy hand in his after a prolonged period of tumultuous indecision. Usagi did not know how he had found her here so conveniently, how he always seemed to be there at her greatest vulnerability. Her legs wobbled as he pulled her to her feet, nearly giving out at the last moment. He caught her, large hand spread across her narrow waist. The contact made her breath catch, and she flushed, staring quietly at her feet when she regained balance. 

The brevity of silence stretched on longer than welcome. She fidgeted, then broke the oppressing hush with an overdue, "Thank you." 

Her abject temperament made him remember the beginning with Usagi. She had been filled the brim with something contradictory that made her strange and unforgettable. He deliberated this and the beginning. The answers were before him, but he was too blind to grasp them. "What were you doing on the bridge?" 

Usagi, stunned at his lack of discretion, could only answer honestly. "I was remembering." 

"Remembering what?" 

"My fiance. . ." 

He looked at her sharply. 

"He killed himself," she said, unconsciously touching her injured arm. 

"Why?" Hiiro asked, more interested than concerned. Why would he have killed himself? It was obvious to even him that Usagi had loved him very much, and that she still did enough to sit ridiculously in the rain to cry about it. Why was it that these rarest of events occurred to Usagi? Why was it that the world seemed to revolve around her? Why was it that she was always hurt in the process? 

She didn't answer immediately, but considered him with an unbridgeable distance to her eyes. "He went to America to study at Harvard about a year and a half ago and when he came back for vacation, he was different. He kept avoiding me. His roommate in America thought Mamo-chan was depressed because his grades were slipping. He jumped. That's the story anyway." 

A pathetic reason, he thought darkly, that a grown man should seek death over a sheet of letters that meant absolutely nothing in real life. "Hn." 

Usagi gave no indication that she heard him, continuing softly. "I went to remember him. My friends have really helped me, but I can't forget. And I still want to remember. I think being forgotten is the worst; if you're forgotten, it's like you were never alive." 

"Forgetting will only facilitate a future full of the same mistakes of the past." 

"Does your past chase after you, too, Hiiro-san?" She pushed her wet hair out of her face to look at him better. 

He gave the slightest admission of a nod. 

She smiled faintly. "But you have friends, right? Like Duo-san to help you. My friends are very important to me. They've taught me a lot of things school couldn't teach." 

"What things?" he continued to inquire, perplexed at himself with this sudden desire to speak. Perhaps it was the full moon—it brought out the other side of him. 

Usagi sighed and looked up. Her left hand fisted by her side—it still felt funny without her ring. She hadn't worn the modest diamond ring for two years and it still felt strange without it on her finger. "To believe in myself and to try and stop blaming myself. I thought it was my fault." Because he killed himself. "I thought I could have done something." Because he hadn't been controlled by by Queen Beryl or Nepherena. "I still do sometimes." Because he left me on his own. 

There was a silence, strained, but not uncomfortable. 

"Hiiro-san, where did you come from?" 

"L1." 

"What's it like up there?" 

The word was out of his mouth before he could think. "Artificial," he said, and frowned. It wasn't untrue, but the word was unkind. 

"But you like it up there, right? Because it's your home," she said softly, squinting her eyes just to see whether or not she could spot a colony. Inky black and silver blurred between her eyelashes. 

'Home' seemed like such an alien word to him. It was a word that insinuated the intimacy and warmth of a family to which he could return. He had neither of those. "Space is tangible on the colonies. The moon doesn't look. . ." he trailed off, "the moon doesn't look like the fantasy it does here. It's a dead rock." 

"A dead rock," she echoed weakly. "Do you think it might have been alive once?" 

"There are people residing on it, if that's what you're asking. It's a tourist attraction." 

Usagi's eyes widened a touch around the edges as if she had just realized something terrible. "Oh, but it's okay." 

He narrowed his eyes, not quite sure what she meant. She giggled unconvincingly before he could reply and waved her question away. 

"Nevermind! I—" she trailed off when a cold drop of rain splattered on the tip of her nose. She shivered involuntarily. "Oh no, please don't let it—" 

Lightning screamed across the sky, and the ear-splitting thunder came roaring after it. The world lit up fiercely and dimmed, casting eerie silhouettes all around them. 

Usagi shrieked and dropped to a shivering ball at Hiiro's feet, hands pressed so tightly to her ears he was sure it hurt. 

"I hate thunder!" 

Her wail was muffled by another sharp crack, but he heard it nonetheless. The manila envelope clasped between his right arm and his side was already soaked through. He shifted it, pulling off his jacket to drape over her sodden head. 

"Come on." He lifted her to her feet, one hand at her elbow to guide her with him. She slipped in the clinging mud and slick grass, but he caught her and steadied her against him. They hurried deeper into the park with her glued to his side. 

"I'm sorry," she murmured when they were out of the rain. He had led her into the shade of a recreation building that stood along the outskirts of the park. Usagi clutched at the sides of his jacket, knuckles turning white in the process. It smelled like him—warm. She shut her eyes. 

"How are your injuries?" 

"They're okay. I guess I'm just a fast healer." 

He frowned—her movements were not at all restricted by her wounds. The bruises were gone as well. Could they had healed that quickly? "The offer still stands." 

She tilted her face up, calm and solemn. "An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind."* 

A heavy curtain was pulled partly away from his eyes, a profound weight that had been sitting on his chest liquefying. It was a realization, not exactly the one he had been pursing, but a realization nevertheless. The sense of familiarity came back, powerful this time, and much more striking. She spoke like someone he knew; she spoke like— 

"Relena," he muttered in fascination. 

Usagi raised her eyebrows, perplexed. "Relena Darlian?" she wondered softly. "Do you know her?" 

"Yes," he muttered, staring out into sheets and sheets of greyest rain. The resemblance of mentality between the two women was remarkable, and he had to wonder why he hadn't established the correlation earlier. Usagi's reluctance in wounding an innocent, her philosophy of life and war had been so memorable to him—it was baffling. 

"What's she like? She seems like a very kind person." 

"She is." 

Usagi lowered her eyes, swallowing the cruelly thickening lump in her throat. His answer was quick and concise, but from such a predictable response, she knew there was more to it than his empty voice would allow. She half-questioned herself how he knew her, one so prominent in the world, and then half-berated herself for falling so easily to jealousy. 

She didn't like feeling jealous. It only led to revenge and revenge only lead to hurt. 

Jealousy wasn't green like the storybooks said. Jealousy was black with anger and repulsion. Jealousy would eat up a person whole, and spit out her shell when it was done with her soul. 

Jealousy also meant too that the premises on what her all-too-smart cat had inferred were true. Usagi liked Hiiro. Usagi was also still in love with Mamoru. 

Her head swam as her stomach lurched. Her heart had hurdled into the back of her throat, choking the precious breath out of her. Usagi's fingers dove from the jacket into her chilly hair, stringy and dull from water and her tears. His coat slipped off her frail shoulders, landed on the ground dismally. 

How had it happened? She couldn't remember, didn't know when or why she could be torn over two men who seemed to be follow her everywhere she went. And maybe she didn't want to know why. 

Sometimes, Mamoru's shadow would cross over Hiiro's and other times, Hiiro's would cross over Mamoru's. It made her sick and guilty, that she could even compare the two completely different men to one another, that she felt the same with Hiiro when she had been with Mamoru. 

She breathed deeply, vying for composure. He had noticed her sudden lapse of state, she was sure of it, because that was the type of person he was. He said her name, and it shook her to the core. 

With effort, Usagi unclenched her frozen fingers from her skull. Her knuckles creaked loudly so close to her ears. They threatened to unhinge and fall to the filthy, upturned ground; her entire body threatened to unhinge. "I-I don't feel well," she whispered, which was not a lie. 

Hiiro fetched his jacket and covered her with it again. "Put it on," he commanded patiently to the mousy child-woman. She had strained a reassuring smile to her face. 

She forced her leaden arms to move, though he steered her uncooperative limbs when she made a struggling sound of exasperation. Her face colored. 

"Do you think I'm childish?" Usagi blurted out compulsively. 

He studied her before answering. Her pretty blue eyes lined with red were clear enough to reflect his image. "Sometimes." 

"Is it bad?" 

"No." 

Usagi pressed her lips together, looking down at her muddied shoes. They were ruined. "Why are you so nice to me?" 

The query, as innocent as it was, caught him off guard. It was impossible for her not to have noticed how _different_ he was from any other male she had ever come across. He had to wonder, however, aside from the guns, the private organizations, and his lack of social skill, just how much she did notice. He had never thought of himself as kind or compassionate, and it seemed now that this frail-looking girl knew this as well. "Do you even understand your own question?" 

She seemed to think on it, tilting her head to side to roll the idea around in her mind. Her hand raised, paused in front of him with smooth white palm inches from his heart. "You are who you are," she said quietly. At the blank look, she pulled her hand away, tucking them behind her. "Am I strange?" 

The question was strange, but she? Given her background, she was as normal as normal could be. "No." 

The blonde gave a sigh in the way a troubled ancient would. "But I'm not," she said, more to herself than him. The topic changed again abruptly. "Do you believe in destiny?" 

"I believe in making my own destiny." 

Her heart skipped a beat. It must have been the thunder. A genuine smile spread over her face, her preceding fear sliding off of her like the rainwater that streaked her skin. "Thank you, Hiiro-san." 

Maybe she was a little strange. "Hn." 

The rain had stopped, and with it, the air changed very delicately. The atmosphere became thick and suffocating, advancing slowly like death. Something bubbled hot and dark up within him, a black shadow shrouding his eyes. Hiiro involuntarily decided he didn't like it, though the more he pursued it, the more the sinister apparition _became_. 

It wrestled with him aggressively, though he hadn't the words to explain it even to himself what _it_ was. Through his torso and into the warm, beating muscle situated in his chest it sought to enter. _It_ crept up through his nerves and his blood like icy hot wriggling fingers. For Hiiro, only a moment was needed to send his apathy down like cruel blades upon the intrusive appendages. The presence cowered and slithered away into dry smoke as he scowled in the bewildering aftermath. 

Usagi touched his arm, a well-known alarm unnerving her to no ends. He rounded at the contact, face dark and unforgiving. 

"What happened?" Her eyes were wide, infinite. 

"How do you know something happened?" 

Her pale ice pink lips parted. "You got a look on your face. A painful look." 

It had been painful. Had he really made an expression to betray it? "Nothing." 

"Are you sure?" 

She was trying to tell him something—unconsciously from the uncertain tremor in her voice, with her large depthless eyes, eyes that were too large for her face. Usagi sat before him in his mind, prim and unruffled perched in a white wooden chair against a black, stationary void. Twin stars of glowing blue stared at him, called to him, beckoned him, and tormented him with questions to which he had no answers. 

Do you remember? Do you know? 

You should. 

"Hiiro-san?" 

The spell broke and he was back in a reality that didn't seem real. His mouth moved on its own accord, voice rising and lowering. "Usagi, tell me something." 

"What is it?" she ventured cautiously, lost in a haze of thought. Dread touched the back of her neck and made her hair stand on end. Whatever he was going to ask, she didn't want to answer. She hadn't the heart to lie, but the truth would be stinging salt on a reopened wound. 

"Why did she call you 'princess'?" 

The pallor of horror that came over her countenance was subtle. "I-I don't know." 

But she did know. He knew she did, and it angered him. The unquenchable blaze rose through his blood to his head, intoxicating him, made his thoughts slow and sluggish. He spoke with exertion. "What are you hiding from me?" 

Her protest, driven by fear and desperation, bubbled out of her throat. "Don't." 

"Tell me." He jerked at her wrist when she retreated two steps. She was shaking visibly, tugging at her trapped arm fruitlessly. It only made him grip her harder. 

The stressed silence stretched on, only disturbed by sharp taps of rain. Her world spun. Only pain had enough power to ground her and force her to remember who she was and what she needed to do. 

Her wrist was throbbing; there would be bruises there tomorrow, and then they would be gone the next day. Usagi held herself still. He didn't let go, nor did he lessen the strength of his fingers. Her eyesight blurred a little, thinking how she should have listened to Rei, that she had been right after all. It wasn't because she didn't trust him, but because she wanted to protect him; not because of destiny, but because she cared for him in a way she didn't want to explain to herself. Honesty was a dangerous creature, and there was no reason to drag him into their mess, especially one that had allegedly originated from her own mistake. 

She sighed almost inaudibly. "You'll regret it." 

"What?" He pulled her a little closer. She didn't look scared—in fact, she never had. It was then that he realized how hard he had been holding her, how easily breakable she was, and how she had not said a thing about it. He let his fingers relax enough to allow her circulation again. 

"You'll regret it." 

"How do you know?" 

"Because," she murmured distantly, "sometimes I regret it." 

"I don't understand you." 

She smiled dimly. "Let's keep it that way." Usagi tugged his jacket off and carefully pressed it back into his arms. "Thank you for reminding me something I had forgotten. Good-bye, Hiiro-san." She turned toward the entrance and left. 

He watched her walk into the grey abyss and away from his life in the same manner she had come in. 

*A variation of Ghandi's infamous quote: "An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind."

_AN: Fohk. What am I doing? -_- Blame it on the miserable mood I've been in lately. Sorry for it being completely boring, but I gotta develop their relationship some more, confuse and angstify (I love making up words) them, and in the process, confuse and angstify myself. Next chapter will include more pilots, more confusion, and possibly some mobile dolls. . .once I know how to utilize them in my fic. _ Anyway, I can't wait for the end of this fic. X_X I have a lot of it written out; I just need to write the chapters that fill it in. Heh, bad Gackt Camui. . _

_Just out of curiosity, does anyone else think Sagara Sousuke from Full Metal Panic is like Hiiro? ^^; I just finished watching Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu like last week and the realization struck me! Sousuke = Hiiro! Except Sousuke is a lot more humorous than Hiiro. . . Hehe :D Fumoffu is the most hilarious thing I've seen in a good while. *starts laughing just thinking about it* XP_

_Interesting "SM/GW" crossover fact: Ail (dub: Alan from the Doom Tree Arc) and Fiore, the alien in the Sailor Moon R movie who played Mamoru's semi-gay lover, were performed by Hikaru Midorikawa. . .AKA Hiiro Yui. O_O *bursts into hysterical laughter* I finally got to watch the subbed version of the movie—non-Chinese dub this time—and I was thinking, 'Fiore sure sounds familiar. . . o_o!! No, it can't be!' So, I did a little checking up and I was right. XD Ail had a crush on Usagi in the series. In the movie, Usagi ended up teaching up the cold-hearted Fiore who was bent on destroying her a thing or two and softened up his heart at the same time. ^_^ Aww. . . Is that a coincidence or what? =P I swear it's like a sign or something._

_And Midorikawa-dono plays some awesome characters: Zelgadis and Schuldich. . .and *begrudgingly* Tamahome. Can it also be a coincidence that I wrote a semi-romantic Usa/Schuldich? *raises eyebrows* Or am I just reading too much into this? ^^;;;_

_Thanks to all the people who've been sticking around since the beginning. ^_^ I really owe you for giving me the strength to carry on. (Did I just quote a Celine Dion song? X_x) Hehe. ^^;_

**Fangboy**: *gasps* Fangboy as in Tasuki/Genrou?! I love him! XD Seriously, he's like my favorite bishounen! ^^ Thank you so much for reading and understanding! ^_^

**the Desert Fox**: Neither won. Mwahaha, it was a stalemate. rofl! Maxwell House. . . I really laughed maniacally out loud when I read that. Sorry about the introductions. I totally forgot about Duo's infamous line. I know, I know, how could I forget about Duo?! Heh, also sorry to disappoint, but Relena's bodyguards are gonna be good guys. Minor characters though, so I won't have them do too much. Thanks again for all the info! You have no idea how grateful I am for it. I've been searching online for more GW technical. . .stuff. . .and it takes a long time to go through all of it looking for the one thing that I need. ^_^ You're like my savior. *worships* Just out of curiosity though, are you female or male? _ Not to say that you are one or other when you're not, but I can't tell! And it really doesn't matter at all, but I'M VERY CURIOUS. O_O Yeah, yeah, the cat was murdered, but I'm not a cat. XD Well, you don't have to answer if you don't want. ^^; I was just wondering. 

**Liquid Ice**: I'm glad you're better now! I thought I was getting sick last week 'cause I was feeling pretty crappy. I think I actually had a mental/emotional breakdown on Thursday or something. _ Anyway, I'm very glad you're not dead and I hope I didn't jinx you. -_-;; Lol, how about we pretend the maid is dead? XD She's not ever gonna show up again so she might as well be, right? Minako has always been an awesome character, though there are some crazy-ass Minako fans out there who are not too friendly. _ I shall not name any names. But yeah, she's very good at taking action and falling into the role of the leader. Lol, Hiiro and female problems. Poor guy. I'm female and I have enough female problems. x.x Ohh, bingo! Maruka, of course an OC, will play some parts. I was really sketchy on "creating" her because I don't normally like OCs. x_x You're right though—she's more muse than a character. XD I like that retribution part, too! It's practically taken from GW, you know, with the killing of Noventa and whatnot. LOL, what am I going to do with those plans?! Seriously, I haven't thought this all the way through. . This is bad! What to do with him! *glomps LI-san* Ahh, you're so cool!

**JeRee**: Thankies! ^^; I try to let everyone take some sort of role. Originally, it was supposed to be Usagi-centered, but it didn't work out too well that way. Thanks for reading!

**Heero's Bunny**: Aww, thanks Bunny-san. ;-; Your review did cheer me up. I agree; sometimes people really do need to hear that once in a while. ^_^! *hugs*

**Black Aura-Sama**: XD Lol, silly BA-Sama!! God, I just love you. You're so adorable. ^^

**Suki**: WHEE!! I love you, too! I love everyone!! Yah, yah, puzzle some more!! :D Puzzling is good! It's like playing with a rubix cube! I hate rubix cubes! xD;; ;-; Itai! I'm happy that you think it's believable!

**Usagi Asia Maxwell**: Doumo! I think I have the manga where they die, too. Ehh, I forget actually. I have the one where Demando slaps Usagi. _ Man, that pissed me off. And the one where Mamoru slaps Usagi, too. WTF is with these guys?! Domestic abuse! Though Demando is much hotter than Mamoru. :D

**Lady Light**: Okay!! Thanks for reading. ^^ I sorta meant for it to be confusing. I was really planning on not continuing, but I've come this so far so I might as well finish it. ^^

**Hyper Bunny16**: Thanks! I can't wait to see what'll happen next, too! Hehe, hopefully it'll continue evolving in a good direction and you'll continue to read. ^_^

**Crystalstorm21**: Thank you! Lol, poor Hiiro. XD Poor Usagi, too, ne, after getting shot and all. It's okay! Haruka and Hiiro will sort of get along. . .at least tolerate each other. =)

**NessaBunny**: Thanks for the sweet review! I'll need the luck!

**Sailor Grape**: Questions, questions. . .! I think this chapter answers part of the question concerning the relationship between Relena and Usagi. . .there's more to it, however, lots more. I absolutely adore MSWG!! That chapter gave me the creeps. You can count on me to bug you about updating if you end up taking a long hiatus again. ^^; Don't worry about Quatre, though. I hope. He'll play a bigger role. . .maybe. _

**Krista Hopes**: Heheh, sorry! I'll try to update faster. ^^;;

**themoonmaiden**: *nods* Hiiro got sloppy XD after promising never to kill anyone again after EW. Haha, never make a promise. That's what I've learned. HEHE you're so full of questions, tmm-chan! XD I don't know if I want to answer them all! Ahh, I did mean for Usagi to be Serenity III, though. I've always considered Serenity I to be Selene, the real moon goddess, Serenity II to be her incarnation and Usagi's moon mother, and Serenity III to be Usagi. *scratches head* I don't think I did too well on explaining that, but it's something to that extent. x.x YAY you made the connection between Relena and Usagi! I'm glad! ^^ They're not exactly the same, but their ideals do overlap in certain areas. Where IS Pluto? Heh heh. It'll be a surprise. XD Poor Quatre. He's being forced to rebuild the gundams. *cackles*

**Angelight**: Lol, thanks xD;; Yeshes. . . YOU must get to working on Paper Snow. _ Uh, my review also cut off last time but I was too lazy to fix it. I think I said something along the lines of super cute and I love it and continue, continue, continue! ;; How were finals, btw? ^^;;

**CrystalBlueSeraph**: Thanks for reviewing! ^^;; Lol, I'll try to update often or regularly. It's a hard job, though! And since it's around Christmas now, I'm just super lazy. ^^


	10. Help me to breathe

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing._

**And You Don't Seem to Understand**

Chapter 9

Haruka had kept up her part of the bargain, more or less. After Usagi had vanished into the night, Hiiro had found himself in a state between reality and dreaming. All the questions he had meticulously drawn up to cross-examine Haruka with had retreated to some inaccessible alcove in his brain. The harder he tried to recall them, the further they sank away from his near-desperate scope. They lingered around the edge of his consciousness like pale ghosts. It would have driven him insane if he hadn't been thinking so hard about the elusive Usagi at the same time—who threatened his good judgment just as much. 

Mulling over one would easily send him to madness. Mulling over two would allow him to alternate the burdens and give him leverage over his sanity. That was how he dealt with his problems and that would continue to be the method he would use to deal with them. 

He had walked to the race track where Haruka had been blowing off some steam and apprehension by taking a few laps around the slick roads. The woman was incredibly fast. She held the reflexes of a fearless cat, swinging around and around the ring, gaining speed each second. She rode like the wind. 

He had planned to deliver the information last, after Haruka paid her due, but the situation had spun out of his capable hands. As much as she needed this information, she could—and would—compromise it if she did not get her part of the bargain first. She would turn her back on him and leave him with nothing. Hiiro, on the other hand, knew there was no where else he could turn to except for her to complete _his_ part of _his_ mission. He had his assignment to fulfill and his parameters to maintain. 

Sometimes, he had to remind him that the world he lived in now was not the way it had been nearly three years ago. Sometimes, he had to remind himself that he could not employ the brutal methods he was so accustomed to. 

There were two people left who came anything close to suspects or clues. The priestess was one, but her lips were sealed and seamless. Usagi was the other, except— 

He could not reach Usagi. 

As many times as he had touched her, he was unable to contain her. She filled his hands so much that she overflowed out of them, left him with nothing. 

He had handed over the documents. Haruka hadn't been too worried about the sopping condition of his research. He had watched her face for any acute signs of incredulity or recognition—anything to give himself something to call her out on. The first time he read through the results, even he had trouble comprehending the extent of the implications. 

There had been a fleeting expression of surprise, but it had dissipated as quickly as the sun had this morning. He had to give her credit for maintaining a businesslike transaction. Then she had asked him something exceedingly bizarre. 

"Do you believe in magic?" 

Kaiou Michiru and her peculiar inquiry about superstitions had come to mind. No, he did not believe in magic, but he did believe there were things that could not be explained by conventional terms. 

She had said that she couldn't tell him directly what he wanted to know, that she hadn't the privilege of it. She would give him clues and he had to figure them out himself. He hadn't necessarily agreed to it, but before he could express his disapproval, Haruka had given him an ominous excuse. 

She had secrets, like everyone else—like himself, but she would take her secrets to the grave. They were that important, that serious. The penalty for giving them out was death on the terms of highest treason, and even by giving him these hints, she would be punished. 

Punished by who, he didn't know, but from the humorless stare, he knew she had not been lying. And a part of him had understood her position, even sympathized with her if only just a little, because he had secrets, too, secrets he would take into death and not let go of them even then. 

Hiiro had paid close attention to what she was willing to reveal. To his chagrin, they all involved in one way or another the child-woman who had walked out of his life not an hour ago. Yes, Usagi played an imperative role in all of this, a role he believed to have to do with her regal title, her reluctance in speaking of it, and the woman who assailed her. The first was to take into account the number of close friends Usagi had. The second one, which was about their last names, he had already reflected on. The final clue was the most important, and it was to give special consideration to her jewelry and the accessories she wore daily. 

Haruka had left him with that. If ever he needed her aid, he knew where to reach her. It would, however, come at a price. 

Before she had departed completely, she had let him know one thing. She was permitting both his proximity and his disputed relationship to Usagi for the time being, because she had learned from her various mistakes in the past. She would not divulge what mistakes, but if he were to hurt Usagi in any sort of way, she would personally hunt him down and skin him alive. No, she would not kill him, she had said. Killing was too kind. 

It was the first time Hiiro had ever heard such a thing. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Quatre wiped his sweaty brow and paused to take a quick sip of water. The assembling of the humanoid machines was coming along rather quickly with the indispensable help of his Magnuac team. The hardest part in the process had been obtaining the hard-to-come-by gundanium alloy. Information on where it could be found was classified to the Preventers, so it was a great help when Lady Une revealed to him the location of a quarry for the metal. 

He did have to wonder about Lady Une's special consideration to his plans. As hard as he had tried to keep the new diversion under wraps, the Preventers were quick to find out and report him. Strangely enough, after being called to the headquarters to make his statement, the once terrible colonel had acquiesced. Quatre had graciously accepted as he was not one to question in the face of benevolence. 

He skimmed through the plans again, marveling out how precise they were. They were, in fact, perfect replicas of the originals. Everything, down to the last detail, had been on the old gundams before they were destroyed. It was astonishing when he had first laid eyes on them, and now, they were nothing short of a miracle. No one should have had access to these designs, because these designs should have been nonexistent. It was assumed they were destroyed along with their old gundams. 

Quatre himself wasn't sure why he had given in to the letter. Perhaps it had been a response to the way the dire petition had been written. His heart had remained unfulfilled until he had made the resolution to carry out the anonymous sender's wishes. He trusted his intuition; it had never failed him.

They had been working since the wee hours of the morning and it was now close to high noon. Everyone had long since deserved a respite for their hard work. 

Quatre smiled wearily and called for a lunch break. Only when all of his crew had shuffled out of his hangar did he turn back to the one-third finished Sandrock to make some fine adjustments. 

He just hoped now that whoever this Serenity the Third was, would be worth all the trouble. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

When the door opened and Hiiro brushed past him without even glancing up, Duo absolved him grudgingly. He had just received a transmission from one of the higher-ups that he would waste no time in sharing, even in the sudden uncomfortable atmosphere. 

"Well, sorry to ruin your terrific mood," he started sarcastically, "but we have a problem. It seems that our good friend Mr. Winner has decided to rebuild our gundams." Duo crossed his arms over his chest in a futile gesture to suppress his inner turmoil and gave Hiiro one good once-over. His eyebrows rose in surprise. 

Hiiro was standing at the foot of his bed, and although he upheld the same aloof posture he had grown into, there was a weariness to his shoulders that would have been invisible to someone who didn't know him as well as Duo did. His face was impassive, his unruly hair matted to his head, but his eyes were withdrawn in preoccupied thought. 

Duo dropped his arms to his sides. "Hiiro?" 

"What?" 

"Did you hear what I said?" 

There was a short strained silence. Duo squirmed disconcertedly. 

"Hiiro, why don't you just talk to me?" 

"Why?" 

The easy-going pilot breathed deeply. "Because obviously something is bother you. Whether or not you consider me a friend, I consider you my friend. If you want to get something off your chest, I'll listen." 

Hiiro turned, seemed to grapple for the right words in his preoccupation. Duo waited patiently for him to open up. 

"Usagi—it has to do with her." 

The name came like a veritable shock to Duo; all this to do with a strange girl? This entire week of substandard work, the moodiness, the lack of already lacking cooperation—out of all the answers Hiiro could have given, he had never expected any involvement with the girl he had met in this nerve-rackingly deferred stay. 

"What about Bunny?" he asked, unable to prevent the urgency from seeping into his voice. It was a mistake, and he regretted it instantly when the lid snapped down on that small, vulnerable frame of light Hiiro had released. 

"Nothing." 

"Dammit, Hiiro—" 

"What did you say earlier?" 

Duo gazed at him in defeat. "Quatre is building our beloved machines of mass destruction as we speak, Lady Une is letting him, and she is in the process of preparing for our trip to L4. We leave in a week." 

There had been no room for miscommunication. Duo watched passively as Hiiro digested the information, and then strode right past him. 

The door slammed. The sound of its finality rang infinitely loud in his ears. Duo slumped against the wall. 

The world was going back to hell. 

- - - - - - - - - - -

Maybe Rei had been a little too harsh on the physically-recovering blonde, and maybe she hadn't been. After the emotional tumult the other day, Usagi had returned to her normal self. No one had been sure what had happened to her once she ran out of the assembly, and no one dared to ask. Usagi herself had never mentioned it. The topic of doubt remained untouched. 

And although her friends worried about her, Usagi persisted in assuaging their concerns. 

They had more important things to think about, she had said, like saving the world the way they were meant to. 

That was why she had offered to act as bait on this dreary day. It was the best idea any of them had to suggest. Even Ami had admitted so. 

Usagi shrieked, kicking her legs as the bony fingers that dug into her upper arms tightened. "That was your cue!" 

"Venus Love Me Chain!" 

The remaining four ex-Inner Senshi gawked as Minako threw a heavy-duty twine rope into the air and swung it around like the cowboys did in old Westerns. The wide, spinning loop landed dead on mark. The young man, lassoed around the torso, dropped the struggling blonde as his arms snapped to his sides. Minako, more than pleased with her accomplishment, gave one steady jerk, and he fell into the dirt. 

Usagi paused to find her breath. Her friends were busy binding their most recent catch, giving her a moment to rub the sore marks on her arms. 

"Usagi!" Rei glared. "Mind giving us a hand?" 

"Okay, okay!" she sighed, mood dampening. She tromped over to the fallen boy of whom Makoto and Rei had bound tightly in some intricate knots with the remainder of the rope. When the two blondes finally approached him, he was lying on his back, eyes closed, and as still as death. "Y-You didn't KILL him, did you?" 

The priestess frowned at the panicked whine. "No! I think he passed out." The perturbed scowl deepened when she inched her senses towards his aura and came away with nothing. "It's gone. Whatever had him is gone!" 

Ami let her hand slip away from his wrist and leaned back onto her heels, an expression of worry carved deeply on her face. His pulse and body temperature were a little low, meaning he had somewhat of an energy drain. On closer inspection, his body was in a fairly malnourished shape. The fine bones of his cheeks jutted out sharply from his ashen face, as did his Adam's apple from his wiry neck. He was utterly sickly-looking, and Ami had reason to believe that he was in fact plagued by disease. Whether it was physical or mental, however, was debatable. 

It made little sense to her. Whatever this demonic creature was, was choosing some of the poorest hosts. The last one had been mentally ill, and the one before that had been Chisa Maruko. Physically, the woman had been fine, but her status of mind had been in the most erroneous direction until her contact with Usagi. 

Perhaps that was what the demon fed on. Weak mental conditions, conditions where the victim was vulnerable and became easy prey were easy to penetrate and manipulate. Ami shuddered at the notion. Where could this creature had come from? How was it possible that it had been created of Usagi's love? 

"Let's get him to a hospital. I have a feeling he won't remember anything, just like the last one," Makoto suggested quietly, eyes vigilant on the more introverted of the group. She had noticed the shiver and it frightened her. Ami, the most level-headed of them, disturbed by such a thing—what did it mean for the rest of them? 

Minako nodded, lending a hand to Makoto as she adjusted his weight across her shoulders, but one of his hands ended up tangling in her hair. She shrieked in dismay and swung her head back and forth in a lousy attempt to unsnarl his cold fingers from her head. 

"Minako-chan, hold still!" yelped Usagi. 

"Get it out, get it out, get it out!" 

"Ami-chan, can you hold her head?" 

With a strength that belied her image, Ami grasped Minako's thrashing head between her two hands and froze it in place. Usagi smiled gratefully and carefully tugged out the final strands from his ring finger. 

It was a little creepy, she thought as she adjusted Minako's bow, but she felt immensely sorry for the nameless young man. She, too, had noticed his ailing appearance and the hollowness in his sunken eyes. He had come after her as if he was an empty puppet pulled by strings, a cheerless marionette with no purpose and no reason. 

Usagi sighed, pressing her hand to his briefly in a simple expression of sympathy. 

She didn't notice the pale glow that collected in the space of skin she touched. Neither Rei, Minako, or Makoto had either. 

Which left Ami wondering just what exactly Usagi had done. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Absently, Usagi wiped off the muggy bathroom mirror with one end of her bath towel. Her reflection, in the seashell-pink frilly pajamas, stared curiously back at her. She smiled at the mirror girl, but the mirror girl did not smile back. Her eyes dimmed. Hiiro never smiled, either. 

The thought came unbidden, shocking her into a cry of disbelief. Usagi shook her head from side to side to clear her fogged up mind. She took a breath, and the stuffy air choked her. 

"No time to be thinking about that, _baka_," she berated herself with a sigh. Her gaze strayed back to the mirror, and she leaned in closer to the murky surface, a scant frown on her lips. 

Maybe it was the remaining smears of steam obscuring her vision, but her hair looked much lighter in her reflection than it did hanging from her head. She picked up a handful of it and dangled it inquisitively before her eyes, just to make sure. 

It was still blond—a darker, heavier shade than Minako's own. Her mother had hailed the color gold ever since she was a little girl, because gold was precious and she was precious to her mother. 

The memory made her comfortable and cozy, drove away the chill of loneliness if even it did so for a little while. There were very little things her parents knew about her since the fateful day she had saved the tormented black cat, and if she would continue to get her way, they would remain ignorant. They knew of Mamoru and they knew of his passing, and they had even known of their promising relationship from the few times her mother had made passing comments on the pretty ring she used to wear. Her father had never been too fond of him, so it was a bitter irony that he came to respect Mamoru when Mamoru no longer belonged on the same plane of existence. 

Whether it was because Mamoru himself had gained his respect or because he had seen how much it had affected her, she didn't know. She had never been able to ask her father or hold a grudge against him and his fiercely overprotective ways. Her father was her father and she loved him as much as she loved her mother. Both her mothers. 

If nothing else, she would always have her parents. That was the strength of a blood kinship. That was the strength of love. 

She pulled the memory around her like a blanket and wallowed in its warmth, inspiring her internalized promise to resurface. She would protect her family and friends by protecting the Earth. She would crush this new threat with her hands if she had to. 

Usagi discarded her towel into the hamper and gave her reflection a firm nod as she sauntered out of the stifling room. 

The mirror girl watched her leave, and smiled sadly. 

_AN: I apologize for grammar/spelling. I took five generous seconds to skim through this. x.x I wonder, too, how long this fic is gonna take. ^^; Um, nothing much happened. ;_; I'm squashed under a huge writer's block. No interesting facts this time. I highly suggest a song, though, off the Chrno Crusade soundtrack. Chiba Saeko - Sayonara Solitaire. It sounds awesome. :D And watch 'Law and Order: SVU.' I'm addicted to the show. Sorry about the short thank you's this time. . .it doesn't mean I don't love all of you guys!_

**ProjectGenesis**: Lol, yeah! :D And they're both so cute. rofl, I wanna re-watch Fumoffu now. X_X

**themoonmaiden**: Augh, tmm-chan, I feel you! I feel like I'm on FFN's review hitlist. I have to "save" every long review I make, just in case they decide to shoot my review down. ;-; Noo, I like your stories! Fast romances are fun, too, like in the movies. :D But yeah, Setsuna will be found, though I was tempted to have her vanish altogether. ^^;

**twiggirl06**: Lol, thank you. ^^; I know it's confusing XD I've even confused myself a bunch of times! I'll look forward to your reviews!

**Himeno Midori**: Aww, it's okay! I'm glad that at least people are reading it. ^_^ Darn resource satellites. I think I'm going to avoid writing about it because I feel, um, lacking in creativeness. x_x

**Erinamation-limited2-nothing**: Lol, thanks. . .I think. XD

**Black Aura-Sama**: Q-ball is here!! NOW LET'S ALL WORSHIP HIM!! ^___^

**Sailor Grape**: HE'S BACK!! Lol, and I promise he'll play a larger role later on. . .much, much later on. ^^;; I'm sorry~ . . .Those are very good points you have brought up. *comes up with some lame excuse* They'll be explained in the next chapter. Yep, uh huh. ^^;;;;

**JeRee**: Thank you ^^;; I wish I could update faster, too. -_- But the usual stuff, i.e., school, midterms, papers, dwindling inspiration, is making this a more difficult project. Support is always a great help, though! ^_^ Thanks!

**Liquid Ice**: Gosh, what to say? Kindred souls, YES! *dies in fulfillment. . .or something close to it* They understand each other, but they don't understand each other. . .and I guess that's where my title comes in? o_o Lol, I honestly haven't really thought about the title that much. Hm! I'll figure something out. I miss our little chats. School sucks. I need more threesome drabble! *sobs*

**Bright-Anarchy**: Ah, thank you, thank you! @_@ And although I still debate with myself the way I present Hiiro, I really liked the way you described him in general: harsh but never intentionally cruel. It just really stuck out to me. ^_^

**Usagi Asia Maxwell**: Aw, you're always so sweet! It was just proper to separate Hiiro and Usagi on a rainy day and let them reflect on what they really want. o.o Not as fun when you just throw them together. . .hmm, well, actually. . . XD Uh oh, plot bunny!

**Tenshi-Chikyuu**: @_@ Wai, thank you. . .lol, you flatter me! XD Happy Holidays! Even though they're over! ^^;

**John Steppenwolf:** Thanks for pointing that out ^^; but Meiou in the context of kanji means Hades. Meiou-sei is actually the planet Pluto. . .I didn't add '-sei' 'cause then I'd have to go on with a long explanation of stuff I don't understand. XD Yah, mecha-technical. . .I never really did absorb all the details of the mobile suits. Thanks for the websites, too! ^^ I think I went to gundamproject.com before. The name sounds familiar. . .

**datajana**: Thankies ^^;

**LunarPrincess**: Ahh, thank you. . .ack, I don't know what to say to all these. . .compliments! ^^; *bows humbly*

**Heero's Bunny**: I WANT AN X-BOX! Lol, actually, I want a GameCube more. ^^ I still haven't played the Legend of Zelda game. ;-;

**Dark Universe**: Thanks! I can't wait for more, either. Writer's block is evil!

**Kail Ceannai**: Thank you ^_^ I try very hard to keep them in some semblance of the character they were originally given. . .and it's very hard. :D

**Tiger Tiger2**: DUO AS PICCOLO AND VEGETA?! Now every time that I watch DBZ, I HAVE to laugh! Lol!!

**Angelight**: You're so lucky to be able to watch anime with people! XD Most of my friends aren't really into anime. What's wrong with them?! Lol, evil twins. :D Brings back memories of the Simpsons. Evil Bart, evil! I'm really thinking about buying the first and second season DVD sets, actually. o.o But then I remember that I barely have the money to buy enough to eat. ^^;;

**yami-chan**: Wow. . . inspirational?! Yami-chan, I think you're exaggerating! ^^ That did make me feel really nice for a while, though! I was on cloud nine. . . And I realize that I didn't give Ghandi credit for the quote! Ack, sorry!


	11. I am losing

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing._

**And You Don't Seem to Understand**

Chapter 10

The Mystical Silver Crystal, arbitrarily named by its first contractor, had never been created. It had existed far beyond any length of time feasible to the human mind. For more than a billion lifetimes, it had remained an impartial spectator in all planes of existence. It had witnessed the Creation, the origin and demise of its gods, the rise and fall of a million kingdoms, the inevitable destruction of mankind, and his equally inevitable rebirth. It had drifted in and out of the vastness and infiniteness of space on every vector that each and every course of action gave birth to. It was here in this world the same time it was in there in that world. 

But as content and predictable as space and time were, they were not meant to be perfect. Physics, in its most conventional terms, was only a method humans created to make sense of what they didn't know. Primordial space—the infinite extension of the dimensional region in which all matter exists—did not progress by the rules of physics. Every decision made and not made were affected by a decision made or not made, and in turn affected another decision to be made or not to be made. 

If Ikuko and Kenji Tsukino had conceived their second child a day earlier or a day later, would their daughter have ever met the orphaned Mamoru Chiba? 

If Usagi Tsukino had woken up five minutes early that fateful day she saved a small black cat, would she have become Sailor Moon? 

If Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion had never crossed paths, would there still be an idealistic empire in the high heavens? 

These alternate universes layered upon each other, up, up, up, down, down, down, stretching far and wide across space, linked irrevocably together by the merest gradations of choice, of time, and of human nature. 

These living slabs touched each other like innumerable layers on a cake, isolated of one another by a thin smear of frosting, by a plane in space that had no thickness. But these worlds were subject to imperfections as well. 

Occasionally, one layer would bear down on another with so much weight, that the fine line separating the two would blur into each other. Two worlds would cross and consolidate into one. 

That was how the Negaverse had bypassed into the world of Serenity. 

The initiation of such abnormality gave birth to utter chaos. The children of the Negaverse flooded through the vulnerable ruptures in the atmosphere and they reacted to this new world on the basest of animalistic instincts

They were parasites, had long ago drained their own planet dry of resources and had been living in their own decay. Metallia, then nothing but another undistinguished leech, saw the weakness of humankind and preyed on it. She feasted on the frailty of man's mind until her own powers ripened, and as they grew, she mutated. She transcended human form and became a shifting, uncontainable entity. With every person she exhausted, she gained strength, knowledge, and something completely foreign to her—emotion. 

She rose rapidly to dominion amongst the anarchy the legions of parasites wallowed pleasurably in. Many who had followed in her footsteps had metamorphosed into grotesque imitations of the humans they fed on. She manipulated them, as she had learned from humans how to do, and they paid homage to her and made her their queen. 

Metallia began to devour planets at a time, starting with the tiny, nearly uninhabited ones that circumvented the outer Milky Way. She worked her way forward, toward the enormous star in the center of the galaxy. When she came to Pluto, she gained a greater knowledge of human physics and time. But during that period, the most removed planet had been without its leader, and so fell much more quickly than the rest of the kingdom of Serenity anticipated. 

Metallia then moved quickly onto Saturn. From Saturn, she went to Neptune, and from Neptune, she went to Uranus. 

They fought passionately until they could fight no longer. Metallia had learned to turn their own people against them. 

It had been the most egregious aberration in the history of the crystal's existence. The Negaverse, if left to its own devices, would devastate the regime of Serenity in all the power they had the potential to gain, and would offset a domino effect to all the worlds that had ever—and would ever—come to be. 

The crystal could not allow such malignant deviance to occur. The opportunity to intervene had come. 

It fell from where it had always lay dormant and plummeted into Mare Serenitatis, the Sea of Serenity. The Goddess Serenity, the first benevolent ruler of the Earth's moon, had seen it hurtle across the sky in a mimicry of a shooting star. She dove into the sea, faith set high on a good omen in the midst of war and bloodshed, and retrieved it. 

Marvelously clear, like water, it filled her cupped palms with pulsating warmth. She set it in the Crystal Tower, the tower of prayer in the center of the Moon Castle. She called it a holy stone, the Mystical Silver Crystal because it responded to her innermost thoughts. It healed and protected when called at will, and with it, she was able to deter Metallia from invading the remaining inner planets. 

The crystal grew accustomed to Serenity, became a part of her. They grew dependent on each other—she for its propitious powers, and it for the pure warmth of her soul. 

Metallia cowered before the crystal, feared its hallowed light and retreated. She watched, from the deepest corner of the galaxy as the Goddess Serenity wielded its power and destroyed many of her followers. The power of it was intoxicating, even as her loyal cohorts died again and again. Her too-human mind began to desire it. She laid in wait for a favorable moment to capture the crystal for her own catastrophic exploits. 

Before her reign came to an end, Serenity had managed to pressure the forces of Metallia near the blackhole from whence they had come. When she died, she bestowed the crystal to her daughter, Serenity, to keep it holy and to maintain the health of her kingdom. 

But the use for the crystal waned when Serenity the Second ascended the throne. Her mother had hindered the Negaverse with such an impressive success that her daughter no longer had a need for it. She set it in the Crystal Tower on a high marble pedestal, and soon, it became forgotten. 

For years, its languor increased, and the once vibrantly pellucid surface dimmed to a somber, opaque grey. It sat, waiting, as the replications of itself residing in other dimensions impatiently watched forward to the aspiring future. 

The future came in the fiftieth year of Queen Serenity's sovereignty. It took the form of a child—a baby girl—with eyes like metallic mist and hair the color of liquid diamonds. 

On the day of her birth, the crystal knew she was someone special. It rejoiced in the confines of its solitude as the people rejoiced across the Moon Kingdom and into her surrounding planets. The first step had been breached, and the crystal found it could bide its time a little easier as it watched over the child as she grew. 

Princess Serenity, named after her mother and her mother's mother, was a manifestation of curiosity and mischief. On her sixth year while evading her vexed playmates, she stumbled into the vicinity of the Mystical Silver Crystal. She hadn't known what it was was then, but seeing it sit so forlornly in its moonsilk pillow, she granted upon it her full—and hard to earn—attention. 

Despite knowing that she would be chastised if her mother were to ever find out, she touched daintily two smooth corners with her thumb and forefinger. 

Immediately, the crystal expelled a great light, drenching the holy tower with deepest white. Princess Serenity clutched at it with all her might in the core of the transparent vortex. In blind fear, she closed both her hands over it in fruitless hopes of sheltering the burning light. 

The Mystical Silver Crystal responded to her, cooling to a balmy simmer. When the inexperienced princess gained enough courage to pull her hands away, the colorless crystal had returned to its glorious luster. 

But it was not simply a one-way influence. Princess Serenity was no longer the little silver creature she had been born to be. Her hair transmuted into gold, blazing like sunlight, and her eyes became as blue as the sea. 

It had found its new contractor. Its own life would depend solely on Serenity the Third's. In return, it would devote a multitude of supernatural force to her and her bloodline. 

In this way, it would exist. 

In this way, the crystal _was_ and the crystal forever would _be_. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

First, Artemis and Luna arched their backs to hiss shrilly. Then, the floor rolled beneath their feet. 

Makoto and Ami grabbed hold of the table to keep it from shifting while Minako and Rei barely dodged the bookcase that crashed down in front of them. They anchored themselves to the floor and shared a wide-eyed look. The temple rocked again, more violently this time, but the majority of the damage had been done. The tremor crawled away into stillness. 

The television screen flickered and fizzed into snow and then back on. The love drama they had been watching was interrupted by the news. 

"Is everyone okay?" Artemis hopped over the fallen shelf and into the center of the room to survey the destruction. Several chairs had toppled over along with the shelf, and they sat now precariously over miscellaneous contents. He was glad to find that the girls were only startled and unhurt. 

Usagi, who had keeled over during the initial shock, settled back onto her knees. "An earthquake?" 

"I have a bad feeling about this," Luna whispered, keeping her ears and eyes tuned to the television set. It fizzed again as if to taunt her. 

The reporter had a geologist on site, one who was looking rather nervous and clearly not because of stage fright. He was shuffling through a stack of papers and pushing his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose every time he looked up into the camera. His face gleamed with perspiration. 

". . .There will be more earthquakes in the weeks to come. The Ohotsuku tectonic plate that Japan sits on has been converging more with the Pacific plate since last Friday. Tokyo is especially affected because we sit on the junction of four active plates that are constantly shifting. We don't know why this is happening, but it is advised that everyone stay away from the beaches from now on. Most likely, there will be enormous tidal waves as a result of these earthquakes. . ." 

"Well, it's not like we'd want to go to the beach anyway. The weather still hasn't lightened," Makoto sighed, stretching her arms above her head. She stood up to help with the overturned furniture. "It's strange." 

Artemis pawed through the scattered collection of books broodingly. "Something big is going to happen. You feel it, don't you, Luna?" 

She nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised if we'll be struck by other natural disasters soon." 

Above the noise of the television, the room gave into quiet contemplation. Usagi flicked her eyes over each person and strained a smile. 

"We've been working hard. It's not the time to be looking down!" she announced doggedly, even giving her palm a firm pound with her fist. 

They looked at her, acutely fatigued and mirrored her smile. 

But there was an exchange of voluminous glances between them. 

It didn't need to be vocalized. The rampant thoughts all narrowed down to one focal point. 

It was like the world was coming to an end. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Haruka checked the sheet of paper in her hand, again, and again, and again. 

And again. 

"Michiru, please tell me my eyes aren't belying me." 

The most composed of the two women studied the address. "I'm afraid not, _koi_." She smiled in amusement at the look of pure bewilderment on her lover's face. 

Of course, Haruka had reason to be confused as much as she was surprised. They had just arrived after hours and hours of anxiety-inducing space flight to one of the larger colony clusters in the existing Earth Sphere United Nations. The taxi cab driver had dropped them off in front of a large and gaudily decorated establishment, all the while claiming they would have a wonderful time at their destination. If Michiru recalled correctly, the knife act was supposedly one of the most riveting performances the business had to offer. 

She plucked the piece of paper out of Haruka's hand as she took her arm in hers. "Shall we go?" 

Haruka nodded dumbly before taking a deep breath. 

Meiou Setsuna, formerly known as Sailor Pluto, the defender of the Time Gates, was working at a circus. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

"Minako-chan! You _know_ Yui and Maxwell?!" 

Minako winced as Rei brutally slammed her hands down on the table. She had been back for less than two weeks and was already waist deep in otherworldly phenomenon. The biggest concern she had right now were the number of earthquakes cropping up all over not only Tokyo like persistent weeds, but the rest of the world as well. They didn't limit themselves to areas that had faults, either. Countries that lacked fault lines that were continuously wracked with earthquakes were speedily becoming major headliners of frontpage news. 

Artemis and Luna had decided to convene with Ami and Makoto to search for leads. It was going to be especially difficult since Ami's mini-computer had long since been out of commission. They were restricted to the internet and news, but that wasn't going to deter them. Their determination was truly admirable. 

"Yes, yes, they're the two _hot_ guys I met that time, the ones I tried to get you guys to meet," she sighed. Originally, this conversation had began with different tactic angles on the Usagi-as-bait idea, but had quickly spun out of control once it became clear that another loose end had emerged from the rapidly unraveling tapestry they were trying to restore. 

Rei heaved out a breath. "This is the strangest coincidence. Usagi had met Yui first when she was. . .doing that ritual. Then she met both of them again at school." 

"What were they doing at school?" 

"I don't know, but I would guess they were asking the teachers about," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "the Sailor Senshi. Probably wanted to know why some of the students had gone berserk—the starseeds." 

Minako sighed, cradling her chin in her hands and reminisced. "That was a great fight, wasn't it, Rei-chan?" 

Rei looked startled. "I wouldn't say it was great. I've never been a fan of dying," she muttered sarcastically. 

"But we protected them, didn't we? Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten. And Usagi-chan. . .Usagi-chan really grew up after that, didn't she?" 

"We all grew up. Even you, Minako-chan." 

The blonde responded by eloquently sticking out her tongue, though the teasing was short-lived. "I wonder what Hiiro and Duo want to know. Why do they want to dig up the past?" 

"It has to be what's been happening with these people," Rei murmured. "With Relena Darlian and Usagi-chan. What is it that ties them together?" 

"Except that they're both princesses?" 

The brunette swallowed a mouthful of tea. "Chisa-san called Usagi 'princess.' It couldn't have been that she had mistakened her for Relena because she said that _it_ had been born of Usagi's love. It must have something to do with Mamoru." 

Minako licked her lips, eyes focused on a dirty little speck on the table. "You don't think it has to do with his death, do you? You don't think. . ." She paused, scrubbing at the gooseflesh on her arms. The temperature seemed to have dropped significantly in the space around her. "You don't think _it_ might have possessed Mamoru-san?" 

"Minako-chan. . ." Rei struggled for words to deny it. _It_ couldn't have possessed Mamoru, she tried to say, and for the life of her, she couldn't. She couldn't, couldn't say anything to defend Mamoru because she knew it was true. He had been known to fall prey to malevolent and non-malevolent entities alike from Beryl to his dreams to Nepherenia and to Galaxia. He was a strong man, but his mind had become weak, and being so far apart from Usagi during that time had diluted his state of mentality. In the deepest part of her soul, she knew it was true. 

By some way or form, the idea seemed to jump from her mind and out of Minako's mouth. "_It_ possessed him and _it_ was trying to kill Usagi. That's why—!" She shot to her feet, agitating the tiny table and sending her teacup rolling to the ground. "That's why Mamoru-san took his life! Because he couldn't let himself kill her! Oh, God!" 

"Minako!" 

She had fallen to her knees, hugging herself around the waist as if to keep her insides from spilling out. It was intensely cold around her, as cold as Sailor Mercury's fog. Ice ran through her veins; she felt like she was trapped inside a tiny bubble made of sharp, vindictive frost. The air she drew into her lungs was not air, but cold like death. 

Dimly, she heard a voice calling for her outside of the little bubble, muffled, increasing in volume every time. 

The chill snaked up around her legs, circled her neck, and squeezed. She forced her arms to move, but something seemed to hold them tightly to either side of her. 

She couldn't breathe. Minako coughed and gasped, struggling with her invisible bonds until she was too fatigued to even lift her head. There was gravity on all sides of her, pushing onto her and into her. Even though she couldn't see her crumpled body, she could feel it bleeding. She clenched her teeth and squeezed shut her eyes—there was no way to fight it, but she would not cry or scream. She would die, and she would die with her honor. 

The voice that was screaming her name droned out of her ears. It was intensely cold, and the cold was reminiscent of a distant, foggy memory. The coffin of ice was familiar to her, painfully so. She had died once in a spacious terrain of snow along with all her friends. Back then, she had sacrificed herself for a greater good to propel Sailor Moon into what they had all thought would have been the final battle. Back then, she had the unnatural literally at her fingertips. 

She convulsed. Would she die again, here, helpless and without meaning? 

Would she die an empty death? 

The air around her shivered, and laughed. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

It was a busy day at the Tsukino residence. Hotaru had been placed into the care of Usagi and her family two days ago since both Haruka and Michiru had some 'business' to take care of. The couple had been very vague about their intended whereabouts, but Usagi was over and beyond inquiring about their private affairs. The Tsukino family had openly welcomed Hotaru for the first time, although they could swear they had met her before years ago as a friend of a relative of theirs. Who this relative was, they didn't know. It was puzzling to them, but at Usagi's insistence, they had finally put it aside. 

As it was, the household was asunder with yelling and nasty laughing and Usagi trying to snatch back certain articles of clothing from her brother's less-than-pleasant friends with a red face. Their parents had left an hour earlier to attend a company dinner at her father's magazine office and had decided to give their daughter the responsibility of sibing-watching. Unfortunately, at the same time, Shingo had decided to invite his friends over for dinner and 'games.' 

Hotaru was mostly making an attempt to stay out of the way, literally speaking. Usagi had already tripped twice over the poor girl as she came storming around the corner on the tail of one of the little demons (one she was sure had a budding adolescent crush on her current caretaker). Luna had been smart and taken the night off for 'research.' 

But as loud and as demanding the home was, however, Hotaru was enjoying herself. It was a much needed drastic change from the orthodox calm that was forever weighing in the lavish apartment complex she shared with her surrogate father and mother. She smiled faintly and took a seat on the lower half of the stairwell that led upstairs. 

"Shingo! Tell your friends to stay out of my room!" 

The raging blonde came spinning around the corner like a tornado. Hotaru even had to put up a hand to straighten back her hair from the breeze her caretaker had wildly conjured. 

"I'm so sorry, Hotaru-chan, but could you get the door?" she called out as she dashed past her. 

The brunette gave her blurring back a puzzled look. "The door?" 

"There's someone there." 

She hadn't heard the doorbell ring, and it was unlikely that Usagi in such a distracted state had heard it ring, either. Hotaru, with a slight frown, walked up to the door and peered out of the viewing hole. There was no one. "Usagi-san, there's no one out there." 

Usagi paused in her steps, her face gone blank. "Are you sure?" 

Tentatively, she whispered, "Usagi-san?" 

"I suddenly feel cold." 

Goosebumps rose all over the surface of her arms to the back of her neck. The fine hair all across the surface of her skin was standing on end. Hotaru breathed, and the breath came out of her mouth in white clouds. 

"U-Usagi-san—" she prompted again, confusion spinning chaotically into horror. Her teeth were chattering rapidly in her mouth, threatening to break her jaw in half. Ice ran through her veins, making her movements stubborn and difficult. Each breath she sucked in froze the tender membranes of her throat and lungs. 

"Usagi? Hotaru-san?" 

She tipped her head up. Shingo was standing awkwardly in the doorway. His friends hovered behind him like bewildered ghosts. 

"Are you okay?" 

Hotaru shook her head, wincing—her hair felt like slivers of wet icicles against her cheeks. "A blanket, g-get a b-blanket!" 

Confused, Shingo turned and hurried up the stairs. The three boys gave them fleeting, panicked glances. 

Her eyes darkened to pitch black. "Leave." 

Stumbling over each other, they retreated out the door, not bothering to close it. A chilly wind rushed to grab the invitation and snaked sinisterly through the two women. 

_Die. _

She hissed, "Get away from her!" although she didn't know who she was speaking to or if there was someone there at all. She was quaking so hard that her muscles were beginning to ache in the frozen shell of her skin. Her feet scraped along the carpet until she could touch Usagi with both hands. "Usagi-san, a-answer me!" 

The pupils of Usagi's eyes had constricted to tiny black points as if she was looking at something intensely bright. Hotaru squeezed her arm desperately, leaving red marks that would inevitably fade to a bright purple stain. 

Shingo came back, a thick comforter grasped in his taut hands. "Hotaru-san—" 

"Listen to me; go upstairs." She reached for the comforter, and all his eyes could see was how badly her arm was shaking. 

"What's going on?" he retorted stubbornly, throwing the blanket around Usagi's shoulders. "She's my sister. I have a right to know." 

The air shifted. Hotaru squeezed her eyes shut and screamed, "Just do it!" 

He faltered at the outburst, but glared at her, wheeling around to face his immobile sister. "Usagi!" 

"Shingo-k-kun, please," she gasped. The air was beginning to thin. "There's n-nothing you can d-do." 

When he refused to move, she smiled faintly to acknowledge his courage, and touched his warm cheek with her blue hand. 

His eyes widened, mouth opening. 

"If you want to save her, leave." 

There was a fleeting moment of hesitation where he was torn between staying and fleeing. Usagi was standing straight and tall like a statue of ice, staring at some point he hadn't the ability or desire to see. Her lips had turned a sickening shade of indigo. He swallowed shakily. 

"You'll take care of her?" 

"I promise." 

He rounded and flew up the stairs. Hotaru wilted, catching her breath. The options laid before her were at a minimum. There was no way she could heal Usagi—whatever consequences this _thing_ had incurred were resistant to the amount of powers she had left. Her mind churned halfway into dangerous waters of defeat and then reversed. The most complicated part was admitting to herself that she wasn't sure she would be able to survive this. 

She looked up as Usagi's pallid face contorted into desolate agony. Nostalgia rushed through the skin where her hands met Usagi's, tangible nostalgia suspended in a delicate web of subconsciousness. The experiences were innumerable; they flooded every crevice of vacant space, melted into one another and separated again like oil on water. 

"They all died," Usagi said so softly that Hotaru had to strain her ears to hear her. "And when I was all alone, I wondered if it was all worth it. It's coldest when you're alone." 

The memory of the first of the many battles of the end came spilling like molten lava into Hotaru's mind. And somehow, they weren't just memories, but events where she was a live spectator. 

The hands of the clock of creation fell backwards, round and round. Her spirit flew through and into time, became one being with it. In a distant corner, covered head to toe in ice and snow, she watched five girls walk into their fate. 

Sailor Jupiter had been the first to go, and then Sailor Mercury. Sailor Moon had cried, had offered to give Beryl the crystal. Then Sailor Venus had disappeared into the void and following her was Sailor Mars. 

_Life is invaluable. Was it worth the price they paid? _

The clock repeated the memory of Sailor Venus, and stuck at it like a broken record. Over and over again, Hotaru watched her body explode to the top of the white mountain. 

It was insanity. She tried to close her eyes, but it seemed her nerves had finally stopped firing. They stayed riveted to the movie of death. 

Yellow hair glared on frost. 

"Crescent Beam!" 

Explosion. 

Yellow hair glared on frost. 

"Crescent Beam!" 

Explosion. 

Yellow hair glared on frost. 

Stop it, stop it! 

Hotaru screamed with all the strength she had left in her chest, and though she heard herself deeply and echoing in her head, she could not hear herself otherwise. Her stomach lurched upward and quickly back down, bringing nauseating tears to her eyes. They blurred her vision, but they wouldn't obscure the sound. 

She tried to force her hands to her ears. They remained limp by her sides. The sensation of being disembodied clung to her skin. 

A voice whistled through her head, familiar and unusual at the same time. She turned in a cold sweat to the origin and watched as the young Usagi morphed through every stage of Sailor Moon, and then into one she did not know. 

Her hair became diamond-white, and although this Sailor Moon wore it in the same style, the buns were heart-shaped and laced with gold filigree. A golden eight-pointed star blazed like the sun on her forehead. From the fluid cape to the rainbow swatch clipped at the front of her skirt, her pristine uniform was unlike any of theirs. In one slender hand, she held a tall, white staff with a glittering star point atop a winged garnet, and it was this she was speaking to. 

"I call upon our contract. Release those closest to the me of that time." 

_The you of that time still does not have the heart to sustain me. Her spirit has not healed._

The woman, a Sailor Senshi she did not know, frowned thoughtfully. Her eyes were grey, like hazy ebony, and they rested on her. Hotaru froze. 

"Hotaru-chan, will you do me a favor?" She smiled the way Usagi would smile. In this strange place with this strange person, it was all that she recognized. 

"You are. . ." She jumped at the sound of her own voice, at the sudden ability to move again. 

"Oh, it doesn't matter who I am. Take her to the cemetery tomorrow, to Mamoru-san's gravesite. Tell her 'in rose.'* When roses grow on a person's grave, it means his or her soul is ready to be reborn." She dipped her head forward, lips curving into a reflective smile. "I learned it from a friend." 

Hotaru shook her head. "I don't understand." 

"We are all connected, Sailor Saturn. She will learn to let go; the _ginzuishou_ will no longer need to depend on your lifeforces. We'll meet again one day," she answered quietly, raising the elegant staff. "Let's go back to the way we were." 

The crystal at the top caught the light and augmented it into a blinding luminosity. Hotaru raised her arms to shield her eyes. A wind took her up and sent her plummeting forward through space. She tumbled blindly to the end of the ever-twisting continuum, finally collapsing to the soft carpet of the Tsukino household. 

She tested her hands on the floor, rising cautiously. Her arms protested gently. 

But she couldn't feel anything save the rippling violet energy singing up and down her body. Each glorious strand of vigor congregated at the center of her chest, pulsing in concordance with the beating of her heart. 

A sob rose to her throat. The spirit of Sailor Saturn embraced her and she opened her arms wide to welcome her home. 

"Hotaru-chan?" 

Usagi was lying down with the side of her face pressed into the floor. Her eyes were heavily-lidded. 

"What happened?" she asked meekly, forcing herself up. 

The brunette stared forward, momentarily forgetting about her long-awaited return. "You don't remember?" 

Usagi shook her head, agitating her pounding headache. Her entire body felt so weak, so drained of energy. She closed her eyes and even that was painful. "I remember Minako-chan calling to me." 

Her teeth caught her lower lip. "Minako-chan?" she echoed. 

Yellow hair against frost. 

Hotaru sucked in a breath. No more. "Usagi-san, tomorrow, let's go pay respect to Mamoru-san." 

There was oppressing stillness. The blonde still crouched on the floor gave her a puzzling look that almost bordered on treason. Visitation had been solely reserved for Usagi. As unfair as it was, it had been an unspoken law and no one had dared encroach upon it. 

Her eyelids drooped. "Why?" 

"You've always blamed yourself. It's not just your burden, Usagi-san." 

"It's so hard," she whispered, curling into herself. 

"Trust me, Usagi-san, like how you've always trusted in me." 

Hesitantly, she glanced up, smiling as that mysterious woman had. Hotaru's heart warmed. 

"Thank you, Hotaru-chan." 

- - - - - - - - - - 

"Minako-chan." 

"Yeah, Rei-chan." 

"Did you feel that?" 

The blonde took a deep, invigorating breath, leaving her feeling lightheaded and completely elated. She spread her arms out to each side of her and stared at the intricate beams of the shrine ceiling. "If you meant 'that' as in getting our powers back, then, yeah." 

"I'm afraid." 

Minako turned her head. The lovely atmosphere had successfully fizzled away into a sour taste at the back of her mouth. "Why? You should be as happy as I am!" 

"Because," she muttered, "it's like a reawakening." 

"So? Isn't that a good thing?" 

"So, the Sailor Senshi always awaken when they are most needed." Rei touched her forehead. "I'm worried about Usagi." 

"You felt her, too, didn't you? It was like she was here." Minako rose to a sitting position, and with a schooled face, said, "Should we get your whistle ready?"** 

Rei scowled, turning a lighter shade of red. "Just let everyone know we'll be holding a meeting tomorrow, will you?"

Minako grinned and nodded, standing up. 

"But, I have to admit," the priestess interrupted quietly. The hard expression of duty wore thin for once. "It is good to be back." 

- - - - - - - - - - 

The long-awaited reunion had been short-lived. Before their shuttle had even touched L4's airspace, the gundam customs of Sandrock, Altron, and Heavyarms had been seen cruising through a battlefield of mobile dolls. Duo and Hiiro had been welcomed very concisely by the Maganacs and briefed of the sudden threat to peace. Apparently, the unmanned mobile suits had been in hibernation for some time. The Preventers had been unable to locate all the factories, effectually giving way to the ongoing battle. They were ushered into the hangar as if the devil were on their heels. Time had been squeezed exceedingly short; within minutes that felt like nanoseconds, they were up and off. 

There were fuzzy commands filtering through the transmissions. Quatre was telling everyone to spread out as the second wave of mobile dolls came shooting forward. Wufei rushed forward, slashing right and left, and sustaining very few injuries. 

In fact, none of them had been attacked brutally enough to be called damaged in any way. The dolls were peculiarly organized into one pattern, and that was to blindly attack. The orderly computer system that was meant to control and guide the dolls seemed to have implemented a poorly created program. As Hiiro sliced his beam sabre through another suit, a combination of dread and suspicion filled him. 

It was very possible that they were being distracted from an event that held much more significance. The first probable scenario was that a set of suits had been dispatched to Relena's current location. Due to the escalating outbreaks in the last week, the ESUN raised the alert to code red and had sent her into a clandestine spot under heavy surveillance. Lady Une had ordered both Wufei and Trowa away to aid Quatre, which meant she was left in the hands of the four women all of them were reluctant to trust. 

What didn't make sense about that situation was the blatant protective ways they had over Relena. From Wufei's and Trowa's descriptions, however biased as they may have been, it seemed the Vice Foreign Minister was in good hands. But were they good enough to protect her from an entourage of humanoid machines? 

Unlikely. 

He pushed forward on the controls, heading out of the battle. 

"Hiiro? Where are you going?" Duo demanded over the link. 

"They're distracting us." 

Wufei growled. "We know that, but that doesn't mean you can leave in the middle of a fight!" 

He glared at the flickering image of Wufei on his screen. "Relena is in trouble." 

"No, she's not." 

Without stopping, Hiiro turned his attentions to the icon of Lady Une. 

"They're not headed for Relena, Hiiro. We have a prevention team tracking their locations at all times. Sally Po, Noin, and Milliardo are on the job and stationed at all possible intended positions." 

His electric eyes narrowed. "Where are they going?" 

"Eastern hemisphere of Earth. They were released at 0200 hours and won't reach their destinations until the day after tomorrow." 

"I'm going to stop them." 

Une shook her head. "There's no way you'll be able to stop them. There are over two thousand of them and they're splitting into different courses on the way. It's likely that they'll be everywhere once they breach Earth's atmosphere." 

Hiiro growled, tightening his fist on the control. A feeling of helplessness threatened to engulf him; how was it possible that there were so many mobile dolls? But even so, any amount of forces Lady Une sent off wouldn't be enough to hold them back. "Where are the majority headed to?" 

"Seems that the targets are major cities—Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, Seoul—" 

"I can make it to Hong Kong if I get a ballute—" 

"—But the largest group—" 

A cold hand clawed at his heart. Lady Une had stopped mid-sentence to look over the analytic results of the courses. It wasn't just the anticipation; it was a feeling of trepidation that went beyond the human senses. 

"Tokyo," she finally answered, looking up with penetrating coffee-colored eyes. He saw her mouth move and form a word that had recently become too familiar with him. 

They were headed to Tokyo, Japan. 

They were headed to Juuban. 

_* "in rose" is pretty much taken directly from the Ground Zero manga. ^^;; Full credit to Reku Fuyunagi! _

_** Slight spoiler from Stars. Senshi had decided to guard Usagi very closely and amongst the instruments they were using to do so, there was a silent whistle which would call Rei from wherever she was. Very funny scene! ^^_

_AN: OMG, this was one crazy long chapter! I'm hoping for some reviews to let me know if I'm okay and or just totally going in the wrong direction. I think the 'introduction' of the crystal was confusing, but I hope you guys sort of understand what I'm saying. Basically, I'm experimenting with personification. We all know the crystal is inanimate, but I've decided to utilize my creative license and expand on possibilities. ^^ Let me know if it's not completely clear, but there will be a few further explanations on it in the next chapters or so._

_Let's see, what else. . .well, I had a huge amount of trouble writing this chapter, and although I've probably read through this a billion times, I am human and thus prone to errors. :P Let me know if something is wrong or if something can be improved. ^_^_

**datajana**: Yep, yep! And especially since now everything is going back to Tokyo. Hehe! ^^

**Sailor Grape**: Lol, your reviews are just so fun to read. ^^ They're very perky and full of questions! Um, I hope this chapter answered some more questions? Haha, and I hope I continue to answer those questions in the next chapter? X_X *glomps* I love you, too! XD

**Black Aura-Sama**: I luff J00, too! xD I feel so l33t. _;; Minor Quatre moment here, but I promise there will be a nice chapter where he's almost the main character. :P And Ami is super smart. x_x I am jealous. *stabs something with a fork*

**Krista Hopes**: Thanks for the review and the enthusiasm! Hehe ^^

**the Desert Fox**: Lovin' Spoonful? John Sebastian?! What?! Lol, I have no idea who they are. I don't really think Haruka could truly carry out her threat, but I'm sure she'd sure as hell try. Erk, I think I decided to stick to the custom gundams because they were the last that I've seen. Good thing you gave me the names xD 'cause I kept thinking Wufei's gundam had never changed from Shenlong. Just something about the name 'Altron' that I don't like. You're a Darien-hater!! *gasps* Haha, I don't hate him, but despite that, I didn't want this fic to deviate too much from the original storylines. And sorry about the Johnny thing—I think I was just confused o_O Thanks again for all the info! ^^

**Usagi Asia Maxwell**: *sniffles* Thank you for your continued support! ^^ I feel my ego inflating, haha. x.X

**LunarPrincess**: Wai, thank you. . .and then suddenly the Senshi regained their powers. O_O

**Chiichobi**: Um, I hope you haven't spontaneously combusted yet! x_x I really did try to get this out ASAHP!! I swear!! I had all these obstacles like school and midterms and papers, so I sat down for two days straight without eating or sleeping or showering and wrote this chapter!! Enjoy! :P

**Tiger Tiger2**: It's WEIRD! I didn't really like Duo's voice when I first heard it because it seemed to deep for him. I like Piccolo's voice, though. It fits him real nice. ^^ But it's still weird as hell! Can you imagine Duo as a green alien? AHH!! *runs for her life*

**Erinamation-limited2-nothing**: Wow X_X thank you! Lol!

**CrystalBlueSeraph**: Ahh, thank you!! I love psychology! I'm studying it now, actually. Perception was one of the best courses I've taken so far. Next quarter, I'm taking abnormal psychology, and I can only imagine what loads of fun it'll be! ^^

**Samantha3**: Thank you ;_; I really have to catch up on your fic! You update so quickly and I'm so behind. ^^ I can't to see what you've got planned!

**Liquid Ice**: GIMME DUH! o.o;; You've suddenly become quite elusive, LI-san! Where arreee yoouu? Star Wars. . .would you believe it if I told you I've never seen Star Wars? I mean, I've seen parts of it, but never the whole thing all the way through. Any of them. Lol, how sad. XD It's on my list of what to watch along with ET and The Godfather. ^^ What you said about the enemy loving Usagi so much that it hates her reminds me of Magic Knights Rayearth. ^__^ I 3 MKR! I thought Nova was such a cool/evil entity. MWAHAHAHA!

**themoonmaiden**: tmm-chan, you're so perceptive! Yep, she's ascending. . .in a way. Uh, good think you asked all those questions about the Tsukinos!! XD I decided to sort of allude to them in this chapter. Rofl! And where were Luna and Artemis. . .uhhh, I forgot about them in the last chapter. T_T I know! I can't believe I forget them, too. But they're here again now!! AHH! I heard rumors you were starting another FB/SM!! Is it true?!

**Suki-san**: Daisuki desu! The title is a lyric from a song: Duvet by Boa from the opening of Serial Experiments Lain. I love that song. It's beautiful. @_@ Wow, I don't think I realized that about my villain. It's very flexible, isn't it?

**Heero's Bunny**: Noooo, grounded? X_x I don't think I've ever been grounded, though I've deserved it many times. Lol, I think my parents were afraid I'd totally rebel. Yes, I was a bad little girl with a nasty temper. XD But thank you so much for coming back and reviewing!! You're so sweet!


	12. But you know that it means so much

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing._

**And You Don't Seem to Understand**

Chapter 11

When Ami looked out the window and saw the distant blinking light, she realized with a foreboding sense of finality that she really hadn't expected the rest of their lives to come so soon. She would never actualize her dream to become a physician, and would never have the chance to say goodbye to her mother. She would never be able to ace her upcoming Statistics examination next week, because school would not end officially today. If she was lucky, she would be given the opportunity to finish this question, this very last question, before the world came to an end.

Then, she thought, how silly, how stupid—the world wasn't going to end. She had the strength of Sailor Mercury again; she would help save the world, save all her oblivious classmates and her favorite teacher.

She would save them _all._

The pencil broke in her trembling hand. The light tap-tapping of the chalk on board screeched to a pause. Her classmates turned to look at her, whispering and concerned.

Ami was riveted. The gloomy grey clouds parted and a little bit of sunlight rolled out of heaven like an inviting red carpet. The blinking light became brighter, took shape and color as it strolled the wide path.

Legs appeared, arms, and a head on top of a widely built torso. It looked very much like a human falling from the sky save its bright red guise and the numerous black disks surrounding it. But it was only when the gundam came so close that she was able to finally recognize it—a Mercurius mobile doll—that Ami saw the Vayeate behind it and the hundred or so more behind that one.

She saw the sunlight, the parting clouds, the Mercurius, and thought madly, how _ironic_. And by that time, they were so close and coming so fast that she could almost hear them cutting the wind.

The legs of her chair shrieked as she stood to her feet, hands in sweaty fists on her desk. "Listen to me, everyone—you're in danger! You have to leave the building!"

"Mizuno-san, what is the meaning of this?"

"You have to evacuate the school building!" She threw a desperate glance at the window again and saw thirty seconds until the rest of her life. "Mobile dolls are coming—"

The classroom swelled into overwhelming excitement. _Where, where_, they cried, skittering to the windows to catch a single, precious glimpse. Ami yelled above their cheers and chatter, warning them to get out, get out, get out—

The foremost Mercurius swung in front of its spectators and swerved too near and too precisely. All the windows exploded simultaneously into awed faces and curious, wide eyes. The noise alone was immense enough to burst eardrums.

Ami had ducked because she had known. She had covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. But at this point, when all she could hear was the agonized screaming of her classmates, she wished she hadn't.

- - - - -

Haruka wasn't sure why she had expected anything less of Setsuna—it was Setsuna after all. In the few years they had known in each other, Haruka had come to understand that Setsuna would always have the upper hand because she would always know something that they didn't. Even when she was no longer bestowed with time and power, Setsuna had a role in this great cosmic design that transcended all human wisdom.

It frustrated Haruka, because life would be less excruciating and dramatic if necessary mysteries weren't so unnecessarily well-concealed.

She swished the coffee in her mug wearily. She and Michiru had been directed to Setsuna's personal tent by one of the ushers at her order and asked to wait. It was small, but comfortable. Haruka wondered absently if Setsuna had been happier here with her circus family than with them back in Tokyo.

The flap to the opening of the tent flipped to one side. Setsuna strolled in and sat down.

"It's been a long time. You two look well," she began good-naturedly.

Haruka didn't know why it was so hard to swallow, but she looked _exactly_ the same. All the questions she had prepared for her flew out of her head.

"Would you like some more coffee?" Setsuna reached for the pot.

"Dammit, Setsuna!" Haruka exploded, sloshing the contents of her mug onto the violet tablecloth. "What is the meaning of this?"

"You're needed here." She avoided her for a moment, looked at Michiru who had been as still and quiet as the dead since she had first come in. "You realized that, didn't you? Now that you have your powers back."

It had barely been half a day since they had felt the constraints break. Michiru and Haruka had just been admitted into the main tent when it had happened. The entire process took less than ten seconds, and it was nothing incredible to look upon, no glowing or radiating energy. Delighted children and their enthusiastic parents had passed them by without a word. The acrobats had sang and danced, the jugglers juggled, and the lively brass music played on.

For Michiru and Haruka, it had been an entirely different experience altogether. Sky and Ocean became free entities once more, and it had been nothing short of a miracle to tolerate, because as it was with many miracles, it was also a little painful, too.

"Why?" the blonde suddenly asked, flexing her right hand. If she wanted to, she could call her sword this very instant. It pleased her.

"How would you feel, Haruka, if Michiru died—right now—without any sort of sign?"

The inkling of pleasure dissipated. Her green eyes flashed dangerously. "As if my heart was ripped out of my chest."

Setsuna smiled sadly. "Do you think maybe that was exactly what had happened to Usagi-chan?"

She felt herself deflate, grabbed Michiru's hand for solace. "I don't understand."

"Mamoru had died—Mamoru who had always been half her heart. What was she supposed to do when half her heart was missing? How could she function like a whole person that way?" Setsuna murmured, not expecting any real answers. "We've always been in tune with her, you know that, don't you? When she cries out from the inside, we respond to her whether we want to or not. You two saw her when Sailor Saturn entered Pharaoh 90. When Sailor Moon screamed for that tiny bit of power, you felt her scream inside of you, and when she became Super Sailor Moon, you felt it, too.

"The ginzuishou _is_ her heart, but without Mamoru, it is only half full. Until she was able to cope by herself again, she needed strength—your strength, the strength of all her friends. Whether you felt it or not, she had cried for it, and you gave it to her. We are all connected."

Haruka turned away and took a deep swig of her lukewarm coffee. For a stinging moment, she was angry, so intensely angry she felt the earth tremble beneath her. Then as soon as it was there, it dissolved, because it was for Usagi. Usagi, who seemed so strong, who could use her inherited power for so much destruction but chose to use it to deliver the world; Usagi, who could _see_ the world in colors they couldn't; Usagi, who was nothing but a human girl with human problems. If Usagi asked for her life, she would very well give it to her.

"We've devoted our lives to her, and nothing will ever change that," Michiru said softly for the first time. "What can we do now?"

"We wait."

"Wait for what?" Haruka mumbled, raking her free hand through her hair.

"For the end of the world."

- - - - -

Minako had known the feeling of danger all her life. When the roar of the explosion down the hall reached her available hearing, she tore out of her classroom and into the stairwell.

By the time Minako had reached Usagi's floor, the entire school had fallen to hysterics. Panic-stricken students and teachers flooded every and each hallway, obstructing her from any further progress. Bodies struck her from the side, propelling her backwards. Someone screamed, and the screaming became contagious. Minako slapped both hands over her ears as she plowed through.

There was a huge crash at the far end of the hall, now fully deserted. The room was wide open; the sliding door had been torn apart by either the mobile suit or the rampaging students. Minako froze at the entrance and clutched the left doorjamb with both hands to keep from pitching forward to her unwarranted death.

The floor that should have laid before her was gone. Jagged edges of what was left of it trimmed the walls of the classroom, but everything else had dropped to the level below her.

She sucked in a trembling breath. There were still students down there, writhing under broken desks and clouds of smoke. There was a sudden boom and pop; the landing moaned under her feet.

It wasn't going to hold much longer. Minako threw her arm in the air, transformation pen in hand, and savored the sensation of becoming Sailor Venus one more time.

- - - - -

After Usagi came to after a brief blackout, she thought she had died. It was the most reasonable conclusion—she was in enormous pain and all she could see for a while was black, lots and lots of black clouds that, logically, only could have meant she was in Hell.

The smell of fire was thick in the air. Her legs burned when she tried to move them. She inhaled dust and coughed.

Her brain jostled painfully at her violent movements, so she stopped. Her vision had cleared and now she saw and remembered where she was.

Her school was demolished. Soot-covered floorboards creaked. Distantly, she heard the sound of people screaming. Around her, she heard people groan. Some were alive—they had to be—but the ones who didn't move, the classmates who were trapped and still. . .

Usagi brought her hands underneath her to push herself to a stand. She fumbled and fell back down, her legs screaming in protest. As hard as she tried to move her legs, they remained as frozen as lead pipes. Lacerations traced the length of them, caused by the enormous fall and the amount of broken debris she had landed on.

Think, _think_, she told herself. It was so easy to blank out right now, too easy to shut down and retreat into her own perfect world where people she had shared many precious years of her life with didn't suddenly die.

If the world was only that simple. If the world was only that happy. If she could make such a world—

"Usagi-chan!"

Footsteps scraped along behind her. Usagi turned as best as she could. "Mako—Sailor Jupiter? Is everyone okay?"

"Sailor Venus is on her way and Mercury is helping the others. We have to get out of here," Sailor Jupiter rushed, slipping her arms under Usagi's to lift her up. "Can you stand?"

"My leg—"

Something crashed outside, sending billows of smoke into their eyes. Jupiter rolled them both out of the way and covered Usagi just as heat and the sound of white noise came bearing down on them. Wood crackled as it disintegrated.

Usagi rubbed her eyes clear. "Mako-chan!" she cried, picking off metal shrapnel and wood bits from her prone form. "Mako-chan, wake up!"

"Usagi. . .run. . ."

"No!" She screamed as she pulled herself upright and put her weight on her feet. Pull Sailor Jupiter out of the way, get her to safety, save her classmates. She could do this, she could!

There was movement at the wall next to her. Usagi whirled, heart in her throat.

The huge mobile suit loomed in through the side of the building. Metal creaked as it moved, lifted its mechanical arm and pointed the attached beam cannon. The lights resembling two eyes at its head flickered eerily as if coming to life.

Usagi clenched her fists and took a step back, making sure Sailor Jupiter was fully covered by her body. Last night, when she had promised Hotaru a visit to the cemetery, she had seen Mamoru's grave shrouded in an overgrowth of _living_ roses. She had given her final good-bye to Mamoru, because she had finally understood that the world in her reality ended only because she had wanted it to. She had told Hotaru that she was glad to have friends who wanted to shoulder her pain.

Now, as time spiraled into this one critical climax, it was time to repay her friends for all that they had done for her. Her only regret was that she wouldn't be able to say good-bye to Hiiro.

_AN: This freaking sucks. What a big, fat disappointment, huh? All these months of not updating. . . and you get this piece of crap. xD;; I guess all I can say is sorry :( . I've been sucked dry of inspiration. Yeah, so there will be 2-3 (?) more chapters and then it will all be over. (Pretend I'm saying that with a lot of enthusiasm. . .kind of like Anya from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. . .of which the entire first season is only 14.99 at Amazon right now! Go buy it! I did!!!) _

_The review corner will have to be cut out just this one time. A million apologies; I'm about to die. XX I just want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all the people who have reviewed this story and have supported me (despite my shabby writing and my poopy vocabulary). It's really for you guys that I'm going to finish the story and try to make it as interesting as possible to the end. And I PROMISE there will be HiiroxUsagi action in the next chapter. Lord knows it's way overdue. Thank you guys again (and again, and again. . .)!_


	13. And you know I don't mean to hurt you

_Disclaimer applies. I miss asterisks, underscores, brackets, and less than and greater than signs. Regarding the last author's notes, I feel compelled to clarify that I am a compulsive liar._

**And You Don't Seem to Understand**

Chapter 12

Rei had been in literature class reading and analyzing classical Japanese poetry when the air-raid sirens pierced the air with their stricken song. Her teacher had been very cool and calm, had told the class to stay seated while she went to make some sense of what was happening outside their school. As her classmates turned to each other and whispered in their jittery voices, Rei had ignored them because she had wanted to finish reading the last poem in the book.

Ancient literature had always been her favorite subject, and poetry her forte. Although she loved the _choka_ for its intricate stories and morals, she found the much shorter _waka_ to be far more fascinating. To create meaning in exactly thirty one syllables in one _waka _was a feat in itself, and for this reason, Rei admired poets for their skill in manipulating words to their will. Deciphering them, on the other hand, was just as consuming, but when lexemes were spread out and picked clean of nuances, she could unearth nothing short of epiphanies.

Sometimes they were troublesome to interpret, other times as clear as day.

She lifted her eyes from the last word and closed her book neatly on the desk. Her teacher, now frazzled and frantic, returned with a portable radio. Somewhere between the static, the shaken silence, and the blaring sirens, Rei took her leave and never looked back.

areba tote  
tanomarenu kana  
asu wa mata  
kinou to kyou o  
iwaru bekereba

_One cannot rely  
on things to stay as they are—  
for on the morrow  
this day we call today  
will be called yesterday. (1)_

- - - - -

"The vidcom link is dead."

"What?" Cooan inquired, voice low and taut. She stilled her hand on the doorknob to Relena's suite and looked anxiously to her eldest sister.

"It's gone," Petz replied, an odd look on her face. "We have no communication with the outside world." She snatched up the remote control for the television and switched it on as Beruche and Calaveras joined them.

Two days ago, Relena Darlian and her entourage had gone into highly restricted and secured hiding on a small and inconspicuous estate on L4. Wufei and Trowa had left on stringent commands from their superior and had reluctantly left Relena in their hands. Since then, they had been required to make reports every half hour to the guards, to the supervisors, and back to them until everyone was absolutely sure of what was occurring at any specific moment in time. At this crucial stage, they knew how beneficial it was to be isolated from humanity, but by the same token, isolation also meant a dramatic cut in awareness of current events.

They had television, and a sprinkling of news carried through from the people above, so for a time, their thirst for knowledge had been quenched. Now, it was a different matter altogether.

Relena found her way to the gathering room and paused in the doorway. The four sisters didn't seem to notice—they were so engrossed in the news. She smiled faintly, exhausted, and less interested than they were.

"—The mobile suits—dominated. . .world capitals. . ."

The glass of water Relena had poured for herself shattered fragilely on the linoleum. The sisters turned, startled out of their wits.

"Miss Relena—" Calaveras caught her shoulder the moment Relena shakily stepped forward and slipped on the spilled water. In the background, the news program alternated from snow and speech. Cooan looked to Beruche helplessly.

"This can't be happening." Her voice was nothing but a quiver of breath. "There are _no more_ mobile suits. This _can't_ be happening!"

Near delirious with disbelief, she tore herself out of Calaveras' grip and flew to the door. Hands grabbed at her, gentle hands that were also firm, pulled her down to keep her from doing anything foolish.

_Rash_, they said, _Don't be rash_.

Relena gave a small, whimpering laugh. Rash was a word she had put out of her mind for a very long time. Rash was what she had been when she was younger and overwhelmed with tragedies that no person should have ever had to experience. When she had recklessly and haphazardly assembled a plan to execute the woman who had taken her father's life—that was when she had been rash.

Perhaps _rash_ was even when she had chased Hiiro across the world, knowing full well his intentions on her behalf. And, perhaps, she realized dismally, that rash was exactly how she was behaving—when danger was now as close to her as the poignant churning of her stomach—only Hiiro pervaded her thoughts.

She missed him deeply, for his poise and his silent companionship. The empty feeling had always been inside of her, and worse than that, the sensitivity of longing and what could have been.

It scraped her raw inside. Relena closed her eyes and let Calaveras seat her on the couch. "Is this," she began hesitantly, locking her hands on her knees, "supposed to happen?"

Beruche stared forward, mystified and distant. "Supposed to happen. . .?" How strange of her to phrase the question this way. "Maybe not this exact way. Maybe something has changed."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean," the blonde murmured.

"Miss Relena," the second youngest sister spoke again, caught between temptation and diffidence, "when we said we were from Tokyo. . ."

Relena's eyes shot open. Her fingers were beginning to hurt from gripping her knees so hard. "You lied."

"Not quite." Petz gave her a smile that left many questions unanswered. "We are from _a_ Tokyo."

"_A_ Tokyo?"

"In our time, it's called Crystal Tokyo," she said, crossing her arms over her stomach.

"Crystal Tokyo?" Relena repeated, frustration already lancing through her body, her brain, and her words. Then, fleetingly, she made sense of something that didn't make sense. Spooked and skeptical, she asked a question for which she prayed a rational answer. "What do you mean by 'your' time?"

The sisters shared a glance—panicked, defeated, reluctant, hopeful—

"We're from the future."

- - - - -

The incredible tissue and gravel melting heat wafted against Usagi's flushed face. The smoke from the beam cannon smelled like burnt metal and firecrackers. The weapon was enormous, and at this close a range—where she could see directly and deeply into the black, round crevice—she was sure there would be not a single piece left of her if it fired.

The problem was being able to reach her brooch in time, and then to say the magical phrase that would elevate her survival level enough to save the people who could still be saved. Sailor Jupiter was behind her, breathing shallowly and struggling to stand, but she had been doing so for quite some time. Usagi knew it would take a veritable miracle to do so, because she had seen how much blood her friend had lost.

She gazed into the opaque abyss, eyes watering from the vengeful dust, and admired Jupiter. Her fingers inched upward to the center of her bow and froze. The beam cannon leaned forward.

Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. Usagi didn't understand the machine, didn't understand gundams or the politics behind them. When she had stood up to face it, she had thought it was wholly inanimate the way a button was, or a pair of sunglasses, that it needed some kind of force to move it. Simply, she had thought there couldn't possibly have been a human being in that mobile suit; even now, she doubted the existence of a definite person controlling the gundam. Other suspicions stemmed from her intuition, and slowly Usagi recognized that it didn't need to have a human manipulating it to have human qualities.

_It_ was biding its time, waiting for her to reach her most vulnerable stage—where she was neither Usagi and neither Sailor Moon—to extinguish her life. _It_ wanted to kill her when she was close enough to rapture to touch it with her hands before obliterating her. _It_ was profoundly evil.

What were her choices? Realizing only seemed to make it worse. She would die if she transformed, and Sailor Jupiter would die if she didn't. Usagi surrendered all thoughts and clasped the center of her uniform fiercely.

Her hand embraced inches of cloth and nothing else. She looked down, terrified, as the beam cannon began to heat up.

Her brooch was _gone_.

There were three soft clicks, and a slow, steadily increasing whir of gears. Usagi raised her face, rooted to the spot as an exquisite yellow light blossomed from deep inside the black void. The illumination became so intense, Usagi forgot she was standing before heaven or hell or nothing after all, and thought instead she was staring at the sun.

_The glorious light before life ended_.

She closed her eyes. Her world became drenched in white. There was a gust of hot wind and one deafening explosion.

Then, stillness.

- - - - -

"Luna?"

"Hm?"

"I love you. Did you know that?"

Hearts beat together in isolation.

"I love you, too, Artemis.

- - - - -

Before her eyes, the sky turned from light to dark. The sun set in a matter of seconds and the brilliant white moon rose to its obsidian and starlit throne.

Hotaru gazed at the unnatural night, not quite sure what to make of it. Her school building behind her was all but deserted; looming against the darkness, it looked dilapidated and sinister.

A fine wind caressed her cheek and rippled her midnight hair. Lightning streaked in the sky, thunder boomed. Gently, tiny crystals of ice began to descend.

It was all wrong, she considered, the sudden plunge into night, the lightning, the wind, and the hail. This was extraordinary and frightening. The forces of life had always abided by deeply rooted, implicit rules judged by a determinant mechanism—going against them was mutinous. Who knew what could possibly happen if the natural balance was disrupted? Who knew what the consequences were if the infallible design of the universe miscarried from its billions-of-years-old process and returned to a simple concept of welding together space and time?

Somehow, these bizarre glitches were also appropriate. Aberration had always been a part of her life. If all creation were to fall apart, it would be by her own hand.

It didn't matter. Death was necessary to make life worth living. And if she was Death, then certainly Usagi was Life. Because Usagi was like everyone's mother, the metaphorical Eve. She had brought the world back from the dead once, and she would do it again in the future.

But most importantly, Usagi was like her own mother, because Hotaru had to wonder, despite already knowing too much of the model of natural order, if Super Sailor Moon had not breached Pharaoh 90 in time, would she have been reborn again with blessed life?

It was a ridiculous question, plagued her only because it was the one thing she did not understand. _She _was the Soldier of Death and Rebirth, and thus _she_ should have been reborn regardless of Usagi's influence.

And yet—Hotaru spun gracefully on her heel, headed to where she was needed most—she truly doubted it.

- - - - -

"What do you _mean_ the end of the world?"

Setsuna smiled placidly.

Haruka's nostrils flared.

Michiru leaned forward, ignoring her partner. "I want to know is what this _thing_ is. Is it another manifestation of Chaos?"

"Manifestation," she began quietly, sadly. Michiru started—she hadn't seen Setsuna melancholy in a very long time. "No, not a manifestation. A shadow."

"A shadow of who?" the boyish blonde muttered, interest piqued and preceding query forgotten.

"Not of who. A shadow of love."

They fell into an uncomfortable, puzzled silence. A shadow of love? Haruka had difficulty comprehending it; how could love have a shadow? How could love—pure, sweet—have any sort of dark side?

"We weren't there yet, when it happened. But one of my selves was already awake." Setsuna traced the edge of her mug with her index finger. "Beryl had a very deep affection for Endymion, and it was that love that turned her into what she had become. Human emotion can be a terrible thing, and love, especially, can drive a person to do things they could never dream of doing otherwise."

"So all of this, we've been fighting Beryl. All this time?" Haruka sneered, eyes as cold as sea glass.

"No." But it was Michiru who said it this time, and Haruka blinked hard, found herself lost again. "It's Usagi-chan's shadow also, isn't it?"

"Why? Why her?" The blonde stood up, offended, hurt. She paced back and forth in the small tent.

"Haruka. Sit down."

"No! Why is it always _her_? What did she _do_?" She spun around swiftly, breath pounding in her throat.

"Because she is compassion, Haruka, and I think in those final moments between Serenity and Beryl, she realized how Beryl felt—from the very bottom of what was left of her human heart—and she grieved for her. This shadow was born, of Beryl's jealous, one-sided love, and Usagi's sorrow. _It_ wanted to be loved, but the more _it_ got caught in the growing chaos, the more perverse _it_ had become. . ." Setsuna trailed off, her mouth a thin line. "Until, finally, _it_ thought the only way _it_ could be loved was to kill Usagi."

"Love in death is eternal." The edges of Michiru's lips lifted up, although the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. She gazed at Haruka and remembered the many promises they had made each other. "We wanted that. Didn't we?"

She nodded, but looked away, miserably cognizant. "So then this is the beginning. Where it all started."

The woman with the effulgent sea-green hair hummed a few bars of her song. "And the beginning always leads to the end." She sighed as the blonde shot her a slant-eyed look—Haruka had never been one for riddles—although Setsuna took the honor of explaining it.

"Crystal Tokyo is coming and it's not waiting for anyone."

"We have to get back and tell her!" She was ready to run back to Earth if she needed to. Michiru, however, snatched Haruka back into her seat. The woman dropped back into the chair. "Michiru! What are you doing?"

The woman calmly regarded her lover's incited company. "It's her fight, Haruka."

Setsuna nodded gravely. "Her final stage of growth. We can't be on Earth when it happens. But don't worry, the gundam pilots will aid her if need be."

"The Gundam pilots?" There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Did she even want to know?

"Yui Hiiro and Duo Maxwell will be on Earth when it comes."

"Yui. . .?" The name had heaved out of her mouth. Even denial wouldn't save her now. "But the Gundams were destroyed!"

"Quatre Winner had rebuilt them, courtesy of my message."

Haruka groaned. "Winner? And how did you get him to build the Gundams?"

"He was a pilot."

She glared at Setsuna, who shook her head coolly.

"You won't make it back in time."

_Back in time_. "You planned this!"

The accusation rolled off the dark-haired woman like water off a duck. She sipped her coffee.

"This is all just some big scheme, and somewhere in this scheme, we're being toyed around with. We're puppets, aren't we?" Haruka's body was trembling with the tremendous amount of pent up anger. Her fists clenched and unclenched by her sides, and not even the touch of her lover could soothe her.

They were the pieces of an elaborate chess set—pawns, and at best, rooks. The inner planetary court were bishops and knights—the closest to Their Majesties in proximity and emotional binding.

But hadn't they lost? Checkmate befell two years ago. The King was dead.

Slowly, Haruka started to laugh.

_Long live the Queen._

- - - - -

"Usagi! Usagi-chan!"

Her mind was muggy and soft, but she could hear her name being called. The voice was muffled and feminine, but laced with intensity.

She was dead now, wasn't she? If she could hear her name, didn't that mean one of her friends had died as well?

Her eyes flew open, round and abject. The air was one heavy, stifling cloud of dust and debris. She raised her arm to cover her face.

Metal shrieked only yards away. She shuddered, thoroughly occupied by the sound—it was like nails scratching on a chalkboard.

"Usagi-chan!"

A hand clasped her shoulder. Usagi screamed and turned around. "Sailor Venus?"

"Are you okay? That was close, Usagi—what were you thinking?" she bellowed, giving her a swift shake. "Don't you ever put your life in danger like that again, do you hear me?"

The shorter blonde blinked, smiling softly. Sailor Venus looked beautiful in the haze, absolutely perfect and lovely. Tears had beaded in her light blue eyes, and they shone like tiny gems.

"I-I'm alive." It sounded so stupid coming out of her mouth like that. "Sailor Jupiter!"

"I'm fine," came her deeper voice, raspy and alive. Her emerald eyes were like twin beacons in the darkness. "We have to find a way to get out of here." Sailor Jupiter scanned the classroom for possible exits, but the only way out was to jump out. With the numerous wounds she had sustained, she decided it wasn't the best of ideas.

"But what happened?" Usagi chewed her lip apprehensively, batting away stray particles from her vision.

They shook their heads.

"Another mobile suit came down and knocked the other one right out of the way. That's all I was able to see," Venus answered quietly, then looked agape behind Usagi.

With a deep feeling of dread, she turned around. A single gundam stood outside the school, white and ethereal against the black cloak of night. Wings extended from the back into a protective fan. At the top of its head, gold accents formed the shape of a crown. Blue and yellow armor marked the shoulders and chest, and a single jade green orb sat in the middle of its torso.

It gave a hiss of air as a compartment began to move. The center of its chest extended outward, and the complicated mechanical arrangement opened up into the cockpit.

The smell of a man permeated the air. Sailor Venus pushed Usagi behind her, Love-Me Chain already forming deadly gold ringlets in her hand. If he showed any sort of threat, any sort of threat at all—

The floorboards groaned as someone dropped down. Electric blue eyes scorched a path to Jupiter, to Venus, and then through her.

The ambience pulsed, all heat and tension.

"You," he said, and it meant everything.

"Hiiro-san." Usagi walked forward, paused, breath sharp between her teeth. Her wide eyes darted to the machine behind him and she fell into a deep silence.

He stared at her as if it was the first time he had seen her, but that was absurd because every time he saw her, he was overwhelmed with a consuming sense of déjà vu. How odd it was to meet again under conditions such as these. How odd it was to finally see two of the nine superhuman female warriors he had been searching for. How odd it was for them to be protecting her.

And she—she was too quiet. Too quiet as she scrutinized the weapon of mass destruction. _His_ weapon of mass destruction.

He could hear his teeth meeting together tightly in his mouth. Would her entire opinion of him change now?

"More are on the way." His voice was carefully empty, priorities in order, order, order. But she looked so disarming, hair mussed and face smudged with soot, as if she couldn't quite conceive of the implications. "I'll take you down to ground-level." He turned away, but his foot suddenly caught something heavy and solid.

Hiiro dropped his gaze to a heart-shaped ornament. It sat on top of black remains and grey ashes, burnished gold looking out of place in the dreary surroundings.

He reached for it slowly the way he would regard a dangerous animal. His calloused fingers closed around it—warm still from the heat of damage. The wings felt like silk in his hands, silken feathers. Hiiro held it up to his face, fixed his eyes on it; upon closer inspection, he realized that they were real—real ivory feathers in a pair of miniature wings on either side of the lustrous brooch.

Haruka's voice thundered in his head. Feverishly, he gripped the trinket so tightly it left pink marks in his palms.

This time, when he looked at Usagi, still stunned and mute, he saw Usagi as Eternal Sailor Moon.

- - - - -

(1) Traditional Japanese Poetry: An Anthology, compiled by Steven D. Carter. Poem #315 by Monk Saigyou

**AN**: ::snickers:: I didn't lie. Where's the UsaxHiiro action? Don't you see it? There's SO MUCH OF IT! ::is splattered with rotten tomatoes:: Well, I _needed_ some place to end the scene. And this was perfect, don't you think? Michiru always freaks me out. While I was watching SM, I was constantly thinking she KNEW something the rest of us didn't. Has anyone ever see the Super S specials? That one episode when Haruka was sick and there was that guy with some weird puppet thingies. . . EWW. But, yeah, Michiru was a little insane there. O.o; Anyways, the whole shadow thing was sorta spun off of Magic Knights Rayearth. I love Hikaru. And Nova. insert greater than signD And I wish I had done a better job incorporating that concept into the story. I hate the dialogue. HATE IT. Now review me. And yes, I'm also speaking to you select few who put me on author alert but never say a word. ::squinty-eyed look:: I swear I'm not _that_ scary.

**datajana**: going back to the review that i hadn't answered ;-; thank you for reading. . . and reviewing after so many months. i thought most people had forgotten about this fic. ;-; and you're so right xD everything comes together when hiiro returns to tokyo. and buffy. YES! i just got it today in the mail. BUFFY!!!  
**the Desert Fox**: thanks for fixing my planet mix-up! i was trying to remember that acronym/mnemonic for the planets. but i couldn't. so i gave up. lol. i'll change it one day. :x i happen to like the wing zero custom because of the wings O.o and probably because i am a girl. haha. well, the wings probably give it special meaning, like angels and protection and blah blah blah. actually, i like altron, too. i think i'd like it better if wufei didn't annoy me (sometimes) so much. you bring up good points about "durwin" and his cheesyness factor, although, he was a bit cooler in the manga, 'cause he wasn't so useless. omg, the 50 kids thing - it actually depends on the version of the myth you're reading, but as for the 50 kids, serenity actually had zeus put endymion into an eternal sleep so she could keep him young and pretty boyish. so it was more like she was raping him while he was comatose. lol, sorry you found the beginning to be so boring; i was trying to set up the history for one of the subplots. i do think beryl loved him, but her love got all sick and twisted and became something else altogether as i tried to explain in this chapter. as for hotaru, the weird thing with that is she actually ages like 10 years very suddenly at the end of super s or beginning of stars (i forget) when one of nephrenia's screeching minions try to attack her. so, i wondered, too, what happened with her father then? obviously she can't exactly go back to him looking like that. i figured she stayed with haruka and michiru afterwards. ack, i forgot about hilde! haha! let's pretend she's still here but elsewhere for now. oh nooo, you caught me. see, i never actually finished watching the gw series, and i don't remember all that much about it, so i had to do a little research on mercurius and vayeate... i'll add reasons in the next chapter ;-; i also have no idea about the romefeller foundation info - i'm awful at googling. sorry about that. :( thanks for not forgetting about this fic xD and for continuing to review it!  
**CrystalBlueSeraph**: aww, what a pretty name. ::gasps:: i ::heart:: psychology! that's why i'm majoring in it! wait, did i mention that? sorry xX ah, well, publishing will always be a dream. . . and nothing more than that. xD just not good enough. thank you for reviewing :x i hope you enjoy the rest of the story!  
**Sailor Grape**: oh god, i nearly burst out laughing at the amnesic idea. NO! dear lord, no. haha. oh wait, pretend i didn't say that either. lololol, yes, hell on earth. i guess it's just this thing i have with polarity - if something good happens, something bad must also happen. :x like no pain, no gain. but doesn't the hellish pain accompanying the return of their powers seem to make it so much more profound? lol. gives the illusion that i'm actually smart, huh? XD argh, quatre. where have the pilots gone?! they'll appear again, soon, very soon. don't you worry, dearie, and quatre will have a nice juicy part. as for minako telling usagi. . . it's all been a little ambiguous now. because i haven't decided yet. . so once i decide i'll let you know. teehee!  
**Archangela**: :o sorry! and it took me buttloads of time to get it out. um, enjoy?  
**Angelight**: aww, angel-chan. . . i missed you, too! ;-; why do you lavish me with compliments so? wistful sigh lolol. seriously, though, sometimes i feel like you're just being too nice and maybe you're only humoring me xD because there is absolutely no reason for you to say such kind things, especially when you, oh angel of discourse, are writing! auughh dies my paper heart. PLEASE. WRITE. MORE. i need to read that story in one breath because waiting for chapters to come out is like torture! it's so freaking good that i just want to cry and laugh and strangle you until you sit down and write more. because. . .it's one of the most clever fics i've ever read. i should put that into a review. ;-; and i talk about myself a lot, too, as you can see. i could've just ended this reply, but no, i had to talk about myself some more. lol. ;-; they say people who talk about themselves have low self-esteem. . . . ;-; i used to read a lot, actually. i love books, but haven't the time for them anymore. if anyone has told you college is easier than high school, they LIED. lied, i tell you. you must read anne bishop's "the dark jewels trilogy." it's beautiful and amazing and. . . a very good book. ;-; have you read jacqueline carey? she's a popular author in the fantasy genre, but her books don't really appeal to me as much as the dark jewels trilogy. jaenelle is gorgeous. but honestly, i don't think you need to improve at all. Oo because i'm very picky when it comes to reading, and i've _been_ hooked on your stories!  
**LunarPrincess**: creepy wasn't exactly what i was going for. . .well, not the meaning i usually attach creepy to, like molesters and stuff. but at least the idea got through. x) thanks for reading and reviewing!  
**K'tothe;NA**: is that a semi-colon? or a colon? i couldn't tell and i'm too lazy to copy and paste D BA-sama, you changed your frickin name! but i knew it was you. I KNEW. because you're BA-sama and there's only one BA-sama. :D  
**Krista Hopes**: you know, "soon" is really a relative word. . . in some cultures, doing something "soon" could take years! well, anyways, thanks for reviewing and reading!  
**Erinamation-limited2-nothing:** hm, indeed! :o  
**angel313**: now i must apologize for not updating sooner. XX  
**Vixen1**: ack, wow, eek! thank you! i never do quite know how to respond to these kinds of reviews. . . except by denying them. ;-; lolol  
**Arcade Angel**: is it an original idea? it could have been original. . . if i hadn't practically burglarized mkr this chapter. hehe, but thank you.  
**Heero's Bunny**: ah, you are very sweet ;-; i know what you mean about fanfiction losing zest. . .but there are wonderful authors out there i.e. angelight, liquid ice, kiwi-chan, vixen, etc, etc, who i like to idolize. lol. dial-up SUCKS! i hate dial-up. if i had live somewhere where there was only dial-up, i would DIE. and sailor cosmos is friggin pretty. and is this long enough for you?! OO;;  
**Amber**: thank you i hope you enjoyed this chapter, too!  
**siren**: :o the word "interesting" has so many interpretations. . . ;-;  
**themoonmaiden**: ah, so many questions! lolol i look forward to them every time. they make me think and agonize. XD don't worry about reviewing late. . . i'm just glad you review at all! and you're right about the ascending part . your intuition scares me xD i hope you're working on your fics, as well!  
**Dark Universe**: cliffhangers are evil, aren't they? ::insert ebil face that i can no longer make on ::  
**Choas Babe**: thanks!  
**sylverwind**: i still wonder what's going to happen next . . .  
**Darkest Melody**: yes, yes, i must get into the habit of updating fast. . . but it's so hard. ;;  
**MehLatera**: ah, thank you ;-; you also have an interesting name o.o very exotic. . .  
**snoggitz**: don't be blown away! ::brings snoggitz-san back::  
**Sailor-Celestialis**: pairing of the senshi. . .hmm, i'll have to think about that. :x i'm not sure yet, so we'll see. . .  
**AmarisD**: aww, sorry. if it makes you feel better, when i read it after a long hiatus, it gave me a headache, too. lol, this is what happens when you try to confuse people. xD karma.  
**Suki**: lolol, Suki-san. special request . ;; i tried to fill it, i swear! but it was hard. and you ended up with the last chapter. and this. and um, yeah. teehee!  
**Sara**: ack, sorry, thank you. . .! phew, you did support me if i decided to take it down there. i'm relieved! i always try to go for unique. well, maybe not try. stuff comes to me and if i like it, i'll jot it down. wow, you feel like you're learning something?! YOU HAVE MADE MY DAY!  
**Patricia16**: aw, my first reviewer in a very long time. xD thank you. i will update!  
**koldy**: you know, i look at the word "kol" and i try to pronounce it the way i think it would be pronounced. sometimes i get "cool," other times i get "cold." which is it? or are they just dead wrong? ;-;  
**Kail Ceannai**: you have a most intriguing name. how do you pronounce it? ;-; it sounds... i want to say celtic, but i'm probably wrong. lol. yes, i'm so glad i can share the goodness of the buffy! makes me feel like i have something to live for ;D  
**Damia - Queen of the Gypsi's**: heck yeah! something about anya that puts me in a good mood. and spike! he. is. incredible. sometimes, i think he should be the star of the show. spike is hilarious, sweet, strange. . . yum.  
**sailorveggie**: lol! that's such a cute name :x reminds me of veggie tales. lolol, your subtle hint will be taken to heart  
**Sugar-sweet**: erm, hiiroxusagi moment! um, yeah! xD ok, ok, next chapter, there will be tons. x)


	14. All the things that I read there

_Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing._

_Warnings: Expect brevity. Was finally updated to sate some appetites._

**And You Don't Seem to Understand**

Chapter 13

The night glittered.

Against a smooth rock, a little girl stopped to catch her breath, kneeling in the waist-high grass. Up just a little ways ahead, her playmate paused and turned around, cupping his hands around his mouth.

"Hurry up!" he shouted. The shifting black-grey shadows enveloped him as he darted off again.

With a deep disgruntled sound, she pushed off the rock into a run. Up, up, up the hill she rushed, legs churning through the sea of pitch grass until she broke the surface and reached the wide, flat peak. She collapsed in a muted ruffle of skirts and stared pacifically at the moonlit profile of her playmate.

"What did you want to show me so badly?" she whispered, following his line of sight into the vast abyss.

He turned to her briefly with the youthful flash of a bright-eyed grin. "Comets."

She immediately perked up, hopping to her feet and scoured the sky with renewed vigor. Tiny stars dotted the sky, winked lazily, but stagnantly.

_Maybe, if she blew at them. . ._

He cut her fantastical musing short with a hushed voice and an emphatic finger to the sky, "Look, right there!"

She jerked her eyes to the right. A pale light arced through the heavens and tore the night in half.

A silent moment of awe passed before she hopped to her tiptoes and squealed, voice traveling for miles. "Did you make a wish?"

He smiled mysteriously at her, eyes as bright as the comet she had just beheld. Then, quickly, he looked away and gazed down at their tiny village lying tranquilly at the foothills. It was late, but many windows were still lit.

"Well," she said with a sulking voice; his taciturn response was obviously not satisfying, "I wished for. . .um. . .pros-per-i-ty."

Startled, he turned to her. "You're not supposed to tell people!"

"Why not?" she whined, flailing her plump little arms.

"Because it's not gonna come true!"

Her bottom lip quivered. Obstinately, she shouted, "Yes, it will!" and made a break down the hill with a burst of speed.

He chased after her, even if it was for a little while. Halfway down, he caught his breath and remained rapt at where he stood. Overhead, slews of blazing blue and red comets sailed down like hail and crashed headlong into the town's buildings. The dry, thatched roofs rapidly caught fire.

Five minutes later, the tiny village became a single, searing orange-red flame.

* * *

Maybe there was a part of him that had known, the part of his thought processes that manifested in pain every time he thought about Sailor Moon. It was as if that element of his brain was trying to warn him, _stay away_,because it knew exactly what Hiiro was getting himself into. 

But even that concept of precognition as a possible reality was hard to grasp—even when _magic_ in its most physical and potent form stood before him. Already he could feel the lazy cataclysm of everything he had learned for the better part of his life taking place in the center of his body. It spread out fiery little tendrils through his stomach into his limbs and deep into his fingers and toes.

The hand that held the brooch burned. He relished the pain because it was all that anchored him to this faithless existence.

Hiiro lifted his heavy eyes and faced her, only now, the Usagi with the eyes of before—the sorrowful eyes that could shred a soul to bits—was gone, and the Usagi before him was a stranger.

Magnitudes shifted. The mouth of the yawning chasm between them shrank, but the gulf of the chasm deepened.

Rei was suddenly there with her penetrating presence, Sailor Mercury close behind her. She glanced at Usagi, and in her abstruse way, returned her unsettling gaze to Hiiro.

Hiiro noticed, but only peripherally. Then, instinctively, he extended his hand and the brooch.

Usagi tread lightly across the crumbling floor. She placed her trembling hands around his and closed them.

It was all warmth for two fragile, breathtaking seconds as he loosed his fingers and let her take away her rightful inheritance.

Rei didn't realize how hard she was gripping the doorjamb until the electrifying tension dissipated. Flexing her tight joints, she promised herself to make a marked re-evaluation of Hiiro because he hadn't made the mistake of forcing himself to understand. She mustered up her spirit and stepped forward to gather the team and move to more stable ground. Behind her, Sailor Mercury clamped a firm hand on her shoulder, compelling her to turn.

Her blue eyes were rippling. "Do you hear that?"

They turned together, tuning their ears to the distance. It was faint and indiscernible at first, like a faded humming or a couple so softly that their words could not be heard. They stretched further up, perking their ears. With each eternal second, the humming became louder, louder, louder. . .

And ultimately closer.

In the horizon, an enormous blue-white tide came crashing across Tokyo. It crushed the screams, the crying, the prayers before they could reach heaven. Violent surf became the only noise, their only god. The towering business buildings crumbled against its omnipotent touch. Downtown Tokyo, once a glorious center of entertainment and commerce, was leveled within the lingering time-frame of two minutes.

Hiiro leapt into his gundam, interpolating the noise with a short command, "Get on!"

The girls shared a puzzled look, not sure what he meant. Usagi glanced at the immense machine as it warmed up, as the massive right arm extended unthreateningly before her as Hiiro much had done only minutes ago. With a sudden burst of comprehension, she jumped onto Wing Zero's metal alloy hand and began climbing up the arm.

The Senshi immediately followed suit without question.

As soon as they were as comfortable as they possibly could be, the gundam accelerated into the sky. Gravity pulled at them, forced them to cling harder; cold wind that smelled like salt, like the ocean cut their faces. The dilapidated school began to shrink as they soared higher and higher. When they stopped, above the school, above the tallest building in Tokyo, and above the destructive tidal wave, they had a bird's eye view of what was once their glamorous city and its equally exceptional people.

The current smashed into the school and bulldozed it down. The surface calmed—a deep, yawning sigh—and passed.

Then the water, exhausted of power, of will, and of otherwordly-control, turned to _snow_.

* * *

**AN**: Is that it! I swore this was more than three pages. It felt like at least five - I swear. :o In any case, please review, for sanity's sake. ;) 

**Kail Ceannai**: i luuuuub celticish stuff! it's all so elegant and gorgeous ;o like... new age music :D i've always wanted a celtic knot tattoo on my lower back xDD but i'm afraid of commitment o-o;; in any case, i wonder if you're still here lolol since i take forever between updates hahaha x-x  
**Damia - Queen of the Gypsi's**: spike has an impressive british accent despite coming from california xDD LOL i think people who speak their mind are cool ... except when all their thoughts are malicious. ;( haha  
**the Desert Fox**: yes yes, i agree! pacifism does not work ... usually. sometimes you just gotta beat people up to make them learn ... or to make them stop teasing you. --;;  
**datajana**: thanks so much! teehee :D more setsuna later, like in a real chapter. mowahaha!  
**Snoggitz**: awesome sauce! xD what does that taste like ;x  
**angel313**: thanks! ;;  
**koldy**: thanks? xD:DxD  
**BLACKAURAsama**: i want to open-mouth kiss you ;O  
**Cor-chan**: sankyuu ;;  
**Usagi Asia Maxwell**: this story will never end :D:D:D i kind of overshot my goal of 3 chapters, actually, so now it'll NEVER END!  
**angelwings6117**: i didn't realize it was so intense? OO;; and that heero. why was he so slow:shakes a fist: thank you thank you! my ego is expanding xD  
**platinum star**: thanks for reading! stay tuned (if you're still remember this story xD)  
**Heero's Bunny**: you're so nice... i wanna hug you. ;-; can i hug you?  
**Flame Ivy Moon**: with cherries on top? yum yum  
**Falke-ness**: wow, thanks i don't know what else to say OO;;  
**LunarPrincess**: aww, you're making me emotional now ;-; thanks so much for staying with the story!  
**Liquid Ice**: it was two chapters at a time! and now it'll never happen again! hahaha x3 LI-chan, you MUST WRITE, okay? you gots me? you must write or i'll try and stalk you until you do. no no, thank you for inviting me! although i haven't added any to the community. oo;; i think you've got all the ones i like already :D we minds think alike!  
**JaminJellyBean**: the veryveryveryvery first! i'm flattered xD but trust me there are soooo many good ones out there! angelight and liquid ice and kiwi-chan, for example, they write awesomeawesomeawesome u/h fanfics  
**noali**: lolol, originally, this was supposed to be exclusively an u/h fanfic. then it grew arms and legs and mind of its own and started to run away, eating all the characters. ;o if all goes well, you will be no longer (or at least less) confused in the end ;-; thanks for reading!  
**Lady Psyche**: i updated :D  
**Raine of The Darkness Clan**: aww, don't cry! it's not worth a cry. ;-; thanks so much for reading!  
**Jayden-the-Jaded:** uwaaahhh that was one long review o.o! i think it took me like at least half an hour to read lolol. ok, let's see how many answers i can fabricate x3 ohh yes i agree, after i expanded my anime/manga horizons, there were so many more yummier bishies than mamoru. :D LOL, poor relena xDD ah well, she's really playing a small part in this fic, altho her role may be a lot more complicated... which is where usagi and her almighty powers of clemency come in. :zips lips: too many spoilers already xD ohh ok, what i meant by that line "it was here in this world the same time it was there in that world" basically means the ginzuishou existed in every single world possible. haha sorry ;x should've made that more clear. bingoooo usagi can't become cosmos until she accepts mamoru's death. yay! cosmos, unleashing the senshi's powers - how does that all work, right? i've always believed that the senshi and usagi have this connection. in so many episodes, we see the senshi helping sm even when she doesn't call to them with her voice; it's like they can feel her when she's in need. and because of that, in this story, when mamoru died, usagi herself was suffering so deeply that subconsciously, the senshi began to supplement her with their own powers, which was how they "lost" theirs. essentially, usagi had used them to maintain her health, her ability to exist. anddd um, hrmm, the mobile dolls answer will come later, embedded in the story. pwahaha. setsuna at the circus. HAHA. people will surprise you ;x and she wasn't an acrobatic or a clown if you're wondering xP lolol and the topic of rei and hotaru, and how they got to keep their powers. in actuality, rei, hotaru, and setsuna got to keep their powers (except setsuna was off elsewhere so that idea was never really introduced). the reason for this is because even before they became senshi, rei and hotaru (and setsuna) already HAD powers. rei had the power of premonition and hotaru had certain powers of healing. one could argue that hotaru's powers came from her possession as mistress 9, but i don't believe that as much as i believe hotaru herself has powers. as one of the outer senshi - who all seem to be more mysterious and wield stranger powers than the inner senshi (take haruka and michiru - in the episode where haruka reminisces about her first meeting with michiru, it became clear that each had a certain 6th sense about each other and the oncoming danger). this is why i left them their natural-born powers. :) the part about hiiro thinking he knew usagi was because he had seen pictures of sailor moon. that was why he knew there was some familiarity between the two, but could not make the connection (due to magical intervention). hrmm, i'm not sure what you meant about the mako and hospital episode o.o;; but i'll definitely try to answer next time if you ask ;; that is... if you even remember this at all ;-; hahaha but thank you so much for reading and reviewing and enjoying :D:D!  
**s****ilver tsukino**: thanks!  
**Serenity Moon2**: yay! i shall introduce u/h action in small bursts ;x  
**Blubby Blueberry**: i luv blueberries o.o;; i could eat them forever. phew, i was really scared that the story started taking a more fantastical turn when i infused cosmos into the storyline, but i'm glad you think it's still realistic! thanks for reviewing!  
**Hells Tenshi**: thank youuu!  
**AnimeSiren**: updating is hard ;-; but reviews keep me going (sometimes) xD thanks!  
**MoonlightPrincess**: ;o an epic! i never expected it to be this long, actually :)but thank you for reading!  
**very-lazy-one**: you can't be more lazy than me! xP ahh it feels good to be respected! hahaha, i don't feel i quite deserve to be respected... but your thoughts are well-appreciated. thanks for reading and sticking through this story  
**moongirlSelene99**: i do have the ending written out HAHA, i just don't have the stuff that goes in the middle. LOLOL, ok, i'll try to write more since i'm sad and unemployed.  
**zero25**: gasp! as soon as you reviewed, i updated. it's all thanks to you! teehee


	15. I have lost it all

_Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon._

**And You Don't Seem to Understand**

Chapter 15

The Mercurius and the Vayeate that had double-teamed Trowa abruptly came to lifeless stops. Just a short distance away, the two mobile dolls Wufei had been battling ceased all movement.

Wufei, with a death grip on his controls, frowned suspiciously at the motionless dolls. He gave Heavyarms and its two opponents a good, hard look, and without another thought, sliced his twin beam trident through his own two enemies.

Quatre blinked onto his right side screen with a concerned expression, Trowa following suit.

"Wufei, Trowa, are you two alright?"

"We're fine," he answered, and giving a nod to the hundred or so intact but stationary dolls, he asked, "Do you know what happened?"

"No idea," said Trowa quietly. "I can't reach headquarters, Wufei."

Wufei swore under his breath as he punched in the direct line to Lady Une. The communication device ominously gave him the busy signal—a signal he didn't believe should exist. "I can't reach them, either."

Quatre shook his head worriedly. "Why don't you two head to Relena's, make sure she's alright? I'll go down to Earth and see what their situation is like there."

Trowa and Wufei nodded, taking off in the other direction as Quatre checked his stats and re-oriented himself in space. They had parted for only a few seconds when Quatre appeared again on their screens, blue eyes enormous in his pale face.

"What is it, Quatre?" Trowa asked pensively, scanning their surroundings to make sure the mobile dolls had not reawakened.

"Th-The Earth—"

"What about it?" Impatiently, Wufei slowed down a little to match Trowa's speed.

Quatre's voice was nothing more than a frozen whisper. "Look at it."

They turned and looked.

* * *

The water had turned to snow. 

There hadn't been a transition where the water had transformed to snow. As if the chemistry of meteorology was a science one could turn on and off, the stratum of water had turned into a solid layer of unblemished, white ice.

Inside Wing Zero, hovering listlessly above the frozen world, and inside his composed shell, Hiiro felt an inexorable alarm he had never before felt. At a time when logic was imperative, Hiiro doubted that any natural rationalization would actually save them. His own thought processes were slowly erupting in disorder, leaving disbelief and denial blooming in its wake.

Japan was _dead_. It was a fact he had no intentions of accepting, but it was also one that forced him to re-examine his own position.

For the better part of his life, he and the gundam pilots had been fighting world _domination_. But Usagi, and the Sailor Senshi, had been fighting world _destruction_.

It struck him hard when he finally internalized the nuances of the truth of the matter. In the larger scheme of things, the meaning of his life mission dwindled into a triviality. Because, whether he and his colleagues had emerged the victor or had been defeated—none of it mattered. Because, in the end, the dictation of Earth's future came down to the de facto forces of nine teenage girls.

Because, even if he had liberated mankind from OZ, from dictators and from war, if the Sailor Senshi had lost against even a single enemy, _mankind would have no longer existed._

* * *

Five minutes before the Earth had become ice, Haruka and Michiru had disembarked on L1 and L3 respectively. As soon as they had reached the space station, they had found a safe place to transform and wait. 

News always traveled fast, especially between Earth and the colonies due to an accomplishment only Vice Foreign Minister Relena Darlian could have pulled off. Because it reduced the response waiting time, it made communication both easier and more efficient. But at the same time, lightning speed transmission also meant less time could be allocated to preparation—particularly preparing the masses to appropriately and calmly receive bad news.

In this case, Setsuna, Haruka, and Michiru had realized that the breakneck speed of news was to become a devastating impact and that there was nothing they could do about it.

In this case, Setsuna, Haruka, and Michiru watched the hands of the clock strike with an alarm of finality, and waited for imminent chaos.

* * *

The sudden whirring of the thermostat at work roused Hiiro into alertness. The digital readout of the external temperature before his eyes blinked five below zero. 

Outside, what was left of Japan exuded a placidity reminiscent of a stormless plane in the eye of a hurricane. It was dark and still. And once it passed, there was no telling the kind of chaos that would ensue.

Upon the plasma screen, Hiiro glanced briefly at the five frost-covered faces, and instinctively rested his vision on Usagi. Her expressive, pale countenance was one that mirrored his innermost mindset. With a remote feeling of solidarity, he shifted the gears, pushing Wing Zero slowly to the ground and landed.

Just then, Deathscythe Hell arrived and alighted with a subdued sound, its deep black wings a stark and diametric contrast to the barren landscape. Duo disembarked the same time Hiiro did, but remained standing in the cockpit, unwilling to touch the ground with his own two feet.

He hovered in his uneasiness as the girls remained adhered to Hiiro's gundam with wordless understanding.

Finally, Duo broke the silence. "What should we do?"

Sailor Venus met his somber blue eyes. "What can we do? We hadn't expected this. Not yet at least."

Duo opened his mouth to ask what she meant, and then closed it with a snap. Perhaps he didn't want to know. "We can't just stay here like this. Sooner or later, we'll have to come down and meet reality," he said, not sure if he was telling them or himself. He glanced at Hiiro, who looked displeased as he scanned the black, starless sky. "The mobile doll readings are gone, Hiiro."

"For now," he muttered in response, leveling his gaze with Duo's and digging his hands into his jacket pockets. "We need to find shelter."

"Yeah, well, good luck to that. There's nothing left, Hiiro. Not a goddamn thing left!"

The chilly air hummed with Duo's sullen defeatism, startling the girls. Sailor Mercury took a deep, calming breath, the wheels in her head turning and turning. Although her grasp of the American language was not perfect, she had a good idea of what they were talking about. The problem was complex in nature, but it could be solved once it was broken up into feasible components. At the moment, they needed to find a place to keep warm, to survive until the next day where she would then tackle another part of the conundrum. And as it were, the solution was clinging to the huge metal bicep above her.

"Sailor Mars—"

Mars, trying to keep her body heat as close to her as she could, looked down across her iced lashes.

"I have an idea." Mercury smiled an astute and clear-headed smile.

Mars raised her eyebrows optimistically. "What is it?"

"I'm going to use my computer and look for—" Mercury paused as she suddenly noticed Usagi standing detached and solitary on the snow. When she had made it down, Mercury wasn't sure. "Usagi-chan?"

Hiiro glanced toward the girls, immediately picking up the conversation. Usagi didn't turn to Sailor Mercury, but when she suddenly took off, skidding and slipping in the snow, he caught the terrified look in her eyes and the plaintive view of her profile.

The Sailor Senshi started screaming around him, "Usagi! Usagi-chan!" and with bodies in frantic motion, jumped to the ground, hesitation forgotten.

He caught up to Jupiter, the one who was farthest ahead despite her injury, and pulled her to a stop. She whirled on him, green eyes smoky with thunderclouds and lightning.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, fists clenched at her side. "We can't just let her—"

"All of you stay here. I'll bring her back."

Her lips thinned into a conceding line, but before she could acknowledge him with a nod, he was already gone, chasing Usagi between the sheets of darkness.

* * *

Relena didn't want to think about it. 

All the channels they were capable of receiving had been repeating the same news over and over again. Five minutes ago, the television had blanked out briefly, and then returned with several fuzzy, but sedate images of a white ball on a black background.

The sisters had looked away, _knowingly_.

Fearing the worst, she had watched, forehead tight with apprehension, as the solemn voice—one that must have been practiced religiously—of a single anchorman addressed the satellite photographs. And as soon as he was done, there were only broadcasts of distorted, live feeds of the citizens of L2 looting its littered streets.

It was _time_, Beruche had announced, rising to her feet and pulling Relena to a shaky stand. Relena had to take it upon herself to administer power—guidance. She was the figurehead of authority and peace; as the Vice Foreign Minister, she was indispensible, and she would never be as sorely needed as she was now.

But Relena wasn't sure if she was truly ready to be _needed_.

* * *

The crisp sound of snow crunched loudly in the stillness of nightfall as they searched for a suitable area to set up camp. Sailor Mercury's personal computer beeped every once while, although no one knew what they meant except her. 

The cold was bitter and they were becoming wearisome from meandering around in what seemed like endless circles. Sailor Mars, experimenting with her newly regained powers, created a simple, but ample flame in the palm of her hands. The group gathered close to graciously absorb its heat.

Sailor Mercury stopped automatically, engrossed with the digital readings on her visor. "Mars," she finally said, pointing to a nondescript spot below them, "melt the snow here."

Sailor Mars nodded, letting the fire evaporate in her hands as she clasped them together and form a blazing point with her gloved index fingers. She followed the line of Mercury's arm and aimed.

"Fire Soul!"

A steady stream of red-orange fire lit from her hands to the ground, turning ice into boiling water and hazy steam. When it ended, they all peered into the massive tunnel she had created.

The lower portion of a toppled building lay at the foundation. Snow gathered around the floor that had once belonged to the first story of structure they couldn't quite figure out.

"The underground floor was fully equipped but never used," Mercury explained in a neutral voice.

With eyebrows raised, Venus stared at Mercury's vacant face; it was one that was neither happy nor unhappy. "What was this place?"

The sensible light in her blue eyes dimmed noticeably. "A hospital," she responded and began making her way down the slippery tunnel.

The remaining girls shared a meaningful look. 'A hospital' did not simply mean any one hospital in Tokyo. Mercury had evaded the deeper end of the question with her basic answer in her unadorned voice. What Ami had failed to mention was that this was her _mother's_ hospital.

Naturally, they had all thought about it—thought maybe there was even a single, one-in-a-billion chance that their family or their friends had survived. But when it came down to the cold, hard facts, they had known all along that this was going to happen. It was too late for heartfelt good-byes, too late for apologies and regret. There was nothing left to be done about the past, but there was everything to do for the future.

This was _it_.

Sailor Venus clapped a hand on Duo's shoulder, realizing they had to do something about the language barrier. He had been half-awestruck, half-addled between witnessing Sailor Mars' primary heat attack and listening with minimal comprehension of their mutual sympathythat alienated him from their conversation.

_All is not lost_, she wanted to declare, but instead, she said, "Duo. We're going to take shelter here."

He raised his eyes to meet hers, and by that one gesture, she saw how much of what little faith he possessed he had placed in her.

* * *

When he found her, she was standing timidly with her hands gathered into fists at her mouth. She was looking left, then right, then left again. And each time she turned, her tense shoulders slumped one miserable millimeter at a time. 

He closed the last few feet between them slowly. Deliberately, in a low voice, he spoke her name.

Usagi pivoted, her pleated blue skirt fanning around her. Her pallid skin had taken on a ghastly shade of light blue, bringing out the shadows in her eyes.

"I tried to make my own destiny, Hiiro-san, just like you said," she whispered tremulously. "But I couldn't change this. I...I wanted to say good-bye, at least, because all those other times, I never got the chance. I thought I would be used to how unfair life is, but...but..."

"You can't change everything, Usagi."

She swiped at her eyes with the back of one hand and covered her mouth to stifle a sob. "I tried. I really tried."

Hiiro took one small step forward, not sure what he meant to do. It was painful to watch her cry, and suddenly, with a sharp and bitter understanding, he knew where they stood and what she intended when she ran off from the group without a word. Beneath them was her home—the home she grew up in with her warm, nuclear family.

"Why do you do this to yourself?" he asked gruffly.

She shook her head—a limp movement of denial. "I thought I would be okay by myself, but it's not the same ever since..."

_He died_, he finished tacitly. _Him_. The one she would never truly be able to let go of. The one who kept him from ever reaching her. "You're not alone."

It seemed like the right thing to say as her tears slowly subsided, as a weightlessness returned to her sensitive form. She slid her wet eyes at him, pinning him with a shrewd look.

"And what about you, then, Hiiro-san?" she asked softly.

A cold, discontent wind stirred the powder around them. He looked into the horizon and only saw acres and acres of white. In the colonies, there was no horizon; there was no real rain or snow either. "I am a different story," he answered as mechanically and frostily as possible.

Her gaze became a little more penetrating, a little more intense. Whether she had acknowledged his reluctance was beyond him.

"Are we really so different?"

It was perhaps then that he really saw her, fixing his arctic eyes on her most human countenance, or perhaps it was then that he truly realized that Usagi embodied the world.

She was compassion and insecurity. She was determination and indecision. She was love and fear. She was the thread of light that burned away a lurking shadow. She was the water that soothed a devastating fire.

She was human. Maybe even perfectly so.

And it was that revelation which made his insides tighten painfully in protest; it was that revelation which made him answer with the one truth which would never change as long as this constantly altering universe existed in everlasting space.

"We are completely different."

It was an answer she both didn't want to hear and didn't believe. Her throat throbbed before she felt the hot tears glide down her clammy cheeks, crystallizing into tiny glass pearls. "I care about you a lot," she said quietly. The wind caught her voice, degrading it.

He heard it, if not from his ears, then from his soul. "I can't replace your memories of him."

She rounded on him, frustrated, fists clenching and unclenching in her lap. "I don't want you to."

"You don't need me, Usagi."

"How do you know?"

Hiiro raised his hand to touch her chin with two fingers, smoothing away the ice and frost on her ashen face with the pad of his thumb. She closed her eyes and opened them again, slowly, as if it was agonizing or trying to do so.

"Because," he responded, almost gentle enough to surprise him, "I see you, and you don't need anything."

Usagi gave a wretched sob and threw herself into his arms. She clung to him, his warmth, his strength desperately, and wet his shirt with the rest of her objecting tears. Maybe he didn't understand just how much she needed him, but maybe he did. Maybe, this was his way of telling her to be as strong as she could be.

But even now, she couldn't help but despair for such an end to their impossible relationship. They would part ways after this one last difficult ordeal, and she would most likely never see him again. He would leave her as Mamoru had, alone and empty, with no one to accept her unbridled affection.

He would be there unconditionally if ever she needed him—this much she knew, nevertheless she was a selfish creature, so she hoped, half-whimsically and half-without humor, that they would not have to end. They would sit in the barren landscape and hold each other as they were now, forever and ever.

All good dreams come to an end.

The wind tangled her hair with fierce gusts, reminding her the impatience of time.

Usagi rose to her feet, removing her brooch from her pocket. The pretty trinket shone naïvely, never knowing how much destructive power it was capable of holding, never knowing how many times it had saved her life and the lives of her friends, and never knowing how many times it would continue to do so.

For the very last time, Usagi became Eternal Sailor Moon.

* * *

**AN**: I'm. So. Tired. xD;; It's coming to an end. Soon. And then I will never write another story with chapters again. Haha. ;x Also, I get the feeling that I forgot some reviewers in my reply corner last time. If I did, it was unintentional and I'm really sorry! T-T Btw, I like French pop. 

**Senshi's Tenshi**: ooommggoodness! i love all your reviews! they're so fun to read xD i get all warm and gooey inside lololol. to answer your question about the japanese poem book, i actually took a class on classical japanese poetry, and while i hated the class, i thought the poems were interesting. but not interesting enough to study. haha so that little rei blurb was from personal experience. sorta xD hamster sex :O oh goodness xD you're so anime-ish! xDD thank you so much for reviewing like all my stuff ;o it really made my day(s) ;)  
**Raine of The Darkness Clan**: LOL yeah i got kindda lost, too. o.o it's been so loooong since i wrote anything! and then i finally did and everything just sorta came out. like diarrhea.  
**the Desert Fox**: haha actually no, they weren't serena and heero. that was a little idea of what was going on elsewhere in the world through children's eyes. and i wanted to emphasize the pessimism in how wishes don't come true. x) LOL i couldn't stop laughing at your hotaru/duo convo. especially the lord of the rings bit X.x  
**bee3**: lol ;x hope you caught up on all your chores!  
**Suki**: cliffhangers! ;o i don't know how to write cliffhangers ;x  
**Adriana**: you're welcome:O!  
**firelightz**: hmm i think the climax died. lol. ok i have to think about this some more ;-;  
**LunarPrincess**: their opinions of each other are always changing xD  
**Dena**: thanks ;)  
**serenity77**: i updated! and it didn't take me 75849957 years this time ;D  
**kris**: aww thanks... but i definitely wouldn't say it's brilliant... mediocre at best x.x  
**Kail Ceannai**: i was really hoping everyone had forgotten this story :x ahh, but thank you for staying close with it :)  
**Heero's Bunny-Scribble**: GERMS? ;o i'm kind of ocd about germs, actually. haha i try to avoid sick people as much as i can ;x i hate getting sick! it sucks! especially cuz i have no one to take care of me. ;-; please pity me. xP  
**FaeriePrincess**: thank you! that's ok! i'm not someone who gets cranky at one-liners. i think a review is positive confirmation that means at least someone is reading it and i'm getting my idea across.  
**Angelight**: angel-chaaaann why did you abbreviate your name? DOES IT HAVE SPECIAL MEANING? i demand to know. -cries all loserishly- and please don't say such nice things like that. it makes my brain get stupider. see. xP  
**Jade Cerise**: aww, thanks xD i did have a great day ;D you have a great day, too!  
**moon-bunny735**: oh yesss, my sess/usa fanfic that i semi-abandoned. xD i think sess/usa would either make a very funny couple or a very serious one. o.o; i had to get myself a sesshoumaru plushie and keychain at hot topic because i just couldn't resist. ahh, but i'm having trouble keeping them in character and whatnot. i can't see sesshoumaru lovey dovey AT ALL and ... i feel like i'm going to offend some people if i keep talking the way i do, so i'll stop. --; but to answer your question about the pilots as senshi picture, i'm not really pairing them... originally, this was supposed to be a hiiro/usagi fic, but then it grew legs and arms and a mind of its own. i had the end all figured out, but i might be adjusting that when i really get to it... x) thank you so much, though!  
**Flame Ivy Moon**: lol sankyuu xD so nice all of you...  
**Jiyuu no Megami**: where's my cookie? xD  
**i laugh at you**: i like your name xP publish? book? o.o where? ;x teehee, thank for reading and reviewing my stuff!  
**mystic soilder**: ;o it's my motto! i like to color with words ;) thanks for reading and reviewing!  
**Dark Universe**: i'm trying to make this fic the embodiment of your name O-O just kidding ;x i think the destruction was borne out of a depressing day at school. lol. that's kind of sad now that i think about it. -.-;; thanks for reviewing!


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